US324132A - lowrie - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. O. LOWRIE.

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING MOTION. I No. 324,132. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

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(No Model.)

- H. O. LOWRIE. MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING MOTION.

Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

Fig. 3

Inventor: MW

gmpher, wan-mm". n. c.

HARVEY o. LOWRIE, or

ATENT Fries.

DENVER, OOLORADO.

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING MOTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,132, dated August 11, 1885.

Application filed January 31, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY O. LowRIE, of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Converting Motion; and 1 do hereby declare that the following specification taken in connection with the drawings furnished,and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

My said improvements relate to that class of mechanism by which reciprocating motion is converted into rotary and rotary into reciprocating motion, and to that particular variety of such mechanism which involves the use of a cam-cylinder having spiral cam-grooves or flanges as the rotative element, and a reciprocating element coupled thereto. Heretofore mechanism of this class has embodied a' single rotary cam-cylinder and a reciprocating element, and in some cases two of such rotary elements have been so combined with areciprocating element that each of said rotary camcylinders were separately included as Opera tive parts of the mechanism, and thereby enabled a reversal of rotary motion,according to which of said rotary cam-cylinders was employed.

So far as I know, I am the first to organize, with a reciprocating element, two ca1n-cylin ders as rotary elements, which are coupled together by gearing to operate in harmony, and also so that said three elements at their operative connections will operate with such a balanced distribution of forces as to obviate all twisting strains upon the reciprocating element or parts thereof. In other words, I have organized two coupled spirally-flanged or grooved cylinders with a reciprocating-rod and its cross-head, so that during all portions of the stroke said cross-head and rod are free from torsional strains, because said cross-head in moving in either direction operates after the manner of a wedge, whether by forcing the peripheries of said cam-cylinders away from each other in the plane of the cross-head, or by drawing said peripheries toward each other in said plane.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as when applied to a reciprocating steamengine; but it will be obvious that various other applications thereof could as well have been selected for the purposes of this specification.

After fully describing the mechanism illustrated, I will specify-in detail in the several claims hereunto annexed the features deemed novel by me.

Beferring to the two sheets of drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side view of my improvements as if applied to a steam-engine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is asection of same on liney, Figs. land 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the spirallygrooved cylinders. Fig. 5 in two views illustrates in detail a spring guide employed in said cylinders. Fig.6 is a modification ofsaid guide. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a portion of the cross-head. Fig. 8 is a plane projection of a cylinder having a modified form of flange or groove. Fig. 9 is another modification of the flanges or grooves of a cylinder.

The reciprocating element A, as here shown, is the piston-rod of a steam-engine, but it is immaterial in what manner power is applied to said rod, or to what use said rod be put, if power is to be taken therefrom.

The shaft B, here shown, carries a beltpulley or balance-wheel, and is the shaft from which power is to be transmitted in this case, but in other connections power would be applied thereto if rotary motion was to be converted into reciprocatory motion. Said shaft Bis here shown as the same on which one of the two grooved or flanged cylinders O is mounted; but if it were a separate shaft and geared to one of said cylinders, it would in no manner affect my invention, although such direct gearing is preferable. As the grooves on said cylinders are practically cam-grooves, I shall for the purposes of this specification designate them as cam-cylinders.

The cam-cylinders G and G are here shown to have a spiral groove or grooves, a, but as only one side of said groovesis effective in an apparatus intended for motion in one direction only, it is obvious that mere flanges or ribs could be used as the equivalent of said grooves. These cam-cylinders may, without departure from my invention, have a single continuous spiral groove or flange, as shown in Fig. 4, or a double bisecting groove, as in Fig. 9, and their contour can be largely varied without departure from m y invention-as, for instance, they can be made as illustrated in Fig. 8, so as to conform to a crank-like movement of the reciprocating rod, orso as to conform to a less variable movement, as illustrated in Fig. 4-.

To be within my invention, the cam'cylinders must have, first, a continuous spiral path and a lateral abutment or shoulder practically throughout its length; and, secondly, there must be two of such cylinders practically counterparts. and coupled together, as by gears b and b, so that they will always revolve harmoniously and each contribute to the proper action ol' the other. Said cylinders are also located side by side, parallel with each other, and preferably as near together as may be practicable. The connection between these two cylinders and the reciprocating-rod is secured by means of the cross head D on said rod, and therefore for obtaining the best results said cylinders should be placed closely together, so that said cross-head can be of minimum width and weight and overlie said cylinders, although said cross-head might be placed below or at one side if both cylindcrs occupied the same vertical plane without departure from certain portions of my in vention.

'Ihe cross-head is provided with vertical studs or pins 0, one for each groove or flange of each cylinder, and to obviate undue friction each is provided with a friction-roller,c, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Although I show supporting-guides for the cross-head, it is to be understood that such need not be employed, if desired, without departure from my invention, it being obvious that the ordinary bearings required by any reciprocatingrod can generally be relied upon as guides, because the strains involved between the cylinder and cross-head are mainly lateral and balance each other, and that there is no tendency whatever to deflect the rod during its thrusting and retractile movements.

As thus far described, it will be seen that as the rod is reciprocated the cross-head is absolutely free from twisting or torsional strains, because the expansive or contracting forces, as the case may be, exerted by it upon said cylinders are evenly balanced laterally, and that the crosshead has a wedge-like action, whether in separating the peripheries of the cam-cylinders in the plane of the crosshead or in moving said peripheries toward each other.

In the prior use of two cam-cylinders, hereinbefore referred to, said cylinders were located side by side, but were widely separated to receive the cross-head in the space between them, andj oi nted studs or fingers projectinglaterally from said cross-head engaged with said cylinders in the horizontal plane occupied by their a-xes. In my organization the canrcylinders are located closely side by side, and the crosshead studs are parallel with each other, and engage with their respective cylinders in the vertical planes of their axes, and this is a valuable feature of arrangement by which the said. perfect balance of forces is secured as between the cross-head studs and the cam-cylinders.

\Vith grooves or flanges of certain contour at the ends of the cylinder, it is not necessary to employ guides for assuring the entrance of the cross-head studs into the return portion of the groove; but when such guides are desirable, I place near each end of the cylinder a spring-guide, d, as illustrated in Fig. 5, it being arranged so that it is depressed by a cross-head stud passing over it, whereupon it rises, and thus restricts said stud to its proper course or path on the cylinder. In some cases, in lieu of said springguide, I employ a radially-sliding block, 0, backed by a spring, as illustrated in Fig. 6; but these devices may be widely varied in character, or dispensed with entirely, without departure from certain features of my invention.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to employ springguides on a cam-cylinder,and I therefore only make claim thereto in combination with certain features of my own invention, and consequently I do not limit myself to such cam-guides of any particular form.

I have employed the term cylinders in designating these spirally-grooved elements; but I do not intend to limit myself thereby to any particular cylindrical form, because it is obvious that only the abutting surfaces or sides of the grooves or flanges are of service; and, therefore, if a shaft were provided with a spiral web or webs, whether grooved or not, the same lateral abutting-surfaces for the cross-head studs would be afforded, and such devices would constitute cam-cylinders, and, obviously, be within my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbet'ore described, of the pair of cam-cylinders, the gearing by which they are coupled together and caused to rotate in harmony, the reciprocating rod, and the cross-head having parallel studs or pins which engage with the cam-grooves or flanges of said cylinders.

2. The combination of the parallel camcylindcrs coupled by gearing, the reciprocating rod, and the crosshead overlying said cylinders and provided with parallel studs or pins, each of which continuously engages with its cam-cylinder in the vertical plane of its axis, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the parallel can1- cylinders geared together, the cross-head provided with studs or pins engaging with said cylinders, and guides upon said cylinders for limiting the cross-head studs to their proper paths, substantially as described.

HARVEY (l. LOWRIE.

Witnesses:

PHILIP F. LARNER, HOWELL llltn'rLn.

IIO

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