US330001A - conveb - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) ssheets-sheet 1. W. H. CONVER 8a G. M. SHEFFER.

RUTARY ENGINE.

No. 330,001. Patented Nov. l0, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 W. H. CONVER 8u G. M. SHEPFER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 330,001. atented Nov. 10, 1885.

William yan1/67, veozgeJbS/afer #y N. PETERS, Pnuuruxmgnpw. wnnmgmn. D. C.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CONVER AND GEORGE M. SHEFFER, OF EMLENTON, PA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,001, dated November 10, 1885.

Application filed October 2, 1884. Serial No. 144,570. (No model.)

.riphery.

It is the purpose of our invent-ion to improve and simplify the construction and operation of this class of engines by providing the cylinder with cap-plates having connected therewith adjustable packing-plates to compensate wear; to provide means whereby the pistons shall be projected from the pistoncasing by steam-pressure, and in the absence thereof shall be supported against their own gravity; to so connect the shaft of the drivingpulley with the piston-shaft that wear upon the former or upon its bearings shall not defleet the latter and disturb the correct relations of the piston-casing to the cylinder; to so construct the wings of the pistons and combine them with the sliding rods by which they are carried that their wear upon the cap-plates of the cylinder shall be automatically cornpensated; to effect asimple and easily-adj usted connection between the steam-pipe and the shaft carrying the piston-case, and to provide the cylinder with a rotary valve so constructed that the engine in all cases exhausts through said valve, while the live steam passes around the'same to the steam-port.

. To these ends our invention consists in the ,several novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth,

and definitely pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view `of the entire mechanism. Fig. 2 is a section section of the cylinder, the mechanism being removed. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the inner face of one of the packing-plates. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the piston-casing. Fig. 7 is a perspective View ofthe valve. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective showing a modified construction of the pistons and their Wings. Fig. 9 is a partial elevation of the cylinder and of the belt -pulley with the parts connecting the separate shafts. Fig. 10 is a detail elevation of one of the crank-arms shown in Fig. 9.

In thesaid drawings, thereference-numeral 1 denotes the cylinder, having upon each end flanges 2. Upon the lower side the cylinder is provided with a depending portion, 4, within which is formed the valve-chamber 5. Leading from this chamber to the interior of the cylinder are steam-ports 6 and 7, of which the latter is the exhaust. These ports communicate with lthe interior of the cylinder or piston-chamber by means of elongated openings 6 and 7, said openings being formed centrally in the inner wall of said cylinder and extending from a bridge, 9, formed centrally above the valve-chamber, to opposite points a little below a line drawn horizontally through the center of the piston-casing, at which point is formed a transverse slot, 8, communicating with each opening and the port to which it belongs.

A cylindrical piston-casing, 10, is eccentrically mounted within the cylinder 1 in such manner as to have bearing upon the bridge 9. This casing is supported by a shaft, l1, having bearing in cap-plates 12, which close the open ends of the cylinder, and within said casing is formed a central diametrical opening, 13', which receives the pistons 14. Across the outer end of each opening is cut a radial slot, 13, to receive the lateral wings 14a, formed upon the ends of the pistons. A steam-joint is formed between each of the pistons and the casing within which they are mounted by a packing-ring, 15, formed of suitable metal, mounted upon the piston aud bearing against the face of the recess within which it slides. The cap-plates 12 are secured to the cylinder by means of bolts 16, passing through them and tapped into the flanges 2. Interposed be- -with the cylinder-wall.

tween the inner ends of the pistons 4 is a spring, 17, by whichsaid pistons arenormally thrown out toward the cylinder, the tension of said spring being sufficient to overcome the gravity of either piston, and retain such a space between their inner ends as to preserve thev contact between their .wingsand thejcylinder at all times. The space 18, occupied by this spring, forms a steam-chamber, which is supplied with live steam by a pipe, 19, andan axial opening, 20, formed in the shaft 11, the

former communicating with the steam-pipe 2l. Thetensionof thesteam enteringthrough said passage drives the pistons .outward with sufficient force to form a steam-joint between the Wings 14L and the cylinder.V When the steam is cut off, the spring 17 still retainsthese parts in Contact, and thereby prevents injury to the cylinder when the steam is shut off by the pistons dropping into the casing and being suddenly thrown out against the cylinder-wall by the final rotation of thecylinderwall.

Upon each of its vertical faces the pistoncasing has bearing upon a packing-plate, 22, which is constructed and adj usted in the manner following: The said reference-numeral 22 denotes a metallic disk having a diameter substantially equal to the interior diameter of the cylinder, and provided with openings to receive the shaft 11. This disk is provided with a peripheral groove in which is placed a packing-ring, 23, which forms a steam-joint l This packing-plate is slipped upon the shaft 11, inside the capplate, and a central screw,24, is tapped through 'the latter, having its end resting against thel packing-plate. By turning up this screw the plate may be adjusted to have bearing upon the end of the piston-casing, and when so placed holding-screws 25, which are tapped through the cap-plates, are turned up into engagement with the outer face of each packing-plate, their ends resting in depressions or recesses formed in the latter. In this manner not only are the packingplates easily and accurately adjusted, but they are held from rotating with the shaft and piston-casing, forming a steam-joint for the lateral faces of the piston-casing and the wings of the piston,l wherein all wear of the parts maybe compensated. The periphery of the piston-casing projects beyond the lateral faces of the same, forming annularfianges 26,which are received by corresponding annular grooves in the faces of the packing-plates 22.

Within the valve-chamber is placed a rotary valve, 27, which is composed of a central chambered body, 28, substantially elliptical in cross-section, supported by circular heads 29, which are eccentric to the axis of the body portion, raising the latter into contact with the upper part of the valve-chamber 5. A longitudinal slot, 30, formsa communication between the chamber in the body 28 and the part which is used for the exhaust.

The supporting-heads ofthe valve ,being ec-l centric to the b ody part, a passage is formed for the live steam between the latter and the wallol' the valve-chamber, as shown in Fig. 7C

2. The engine therefore exhausts through thel valve andtakes steam which passes around it. The slot 30 in the valve for the exhaust is of such breadth that by rotating the valve the exhaust may be cut off by the bridge 9, which 7 5 closes the said slot. At the same time the ports 6 and 7 are closed by those portionsv of the valve-body lying upon each side of the slot and having bearing upon the wall of the cylindrical valve-chamber. 8o

The valve is provided with a stem, 31,which projects through the end wall or cap of .the valve-chamber and receives va packing-ring, 3 2, having a iiange, 33, interiorly threaded andscrewed upon a boss34, Vprojecting from the end wall or cap, 35, a suitable packingring being interposed between them. Packing-rings 36 are set in each supporting-head 29, and have bearing upon the wall of the valve-chamber. A reversing-lever, 37, is

kmounted upon the valve-stem. Steam is.

brought through the pipe 38 and enters the lower part of the valve-chamber, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The wingsupon the pistons may be integral 9 5 with the latter; but we propose also to form each separately. In such construction the wing lis made in two parts, 39 39, united bya lapjoint and set in a slot, 40, in the end ofthe piston. f In each part of the divided wing .1S formed a slot, 4l, which receives a bolt, 42, passing through the end of the piston, and the construction is such that when adjusted in place a steam-space, 43, is left between the united sections of the wing. This space admits a sufficient body of live steam to draw` the'wing-sections 39 39u outward, and produces by its pressure a steam -joint between the .wing and the cylinder.

As is usual in all engines of thisclass, the shaft 11 carries a belt-pulley, 44. The powershaft may have separate support upon each side of the pulley, if desired; but itis well known that the bearings wear rapidly away under the heavydraft frequently brought upon the belt. This causes a certain amount ofdeviation of the shaft 11, throwing the opposite faces ofthe piston-casing out of a true parallelism with the packing-plates, and causing an unequal wear of the latter, which soon incapacitates the parts for use. To remedy this defect,we employ the lconstruction illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein the pulley is carried by a separate shaft, lli-mounted in independent .bearings and connected with the power-shaft .by acrank, 45, having a crank-pin, 46, which journals in a box, 47, having movement in a slotted arm, 48, carried by the power-shaft. As the bearings of the latter wear down, the corresponding displacement of the crank-arm 45 will be permitted by the movable box 47 without in the least disturbing the relations be- IOO IIO

ltween the power-shaft and the pulley-shaft.

In this manner the `drag of the belt is wholly removed from the power-shaft, the wear of the journal-bearings is equalized, and the 4durability ofthe engine is very greatly increased.

The operation of the parts thus far described is as follows: Thevalve being adjusted as shown in Fig. 2, and the throttle being opened, steam tlowsin through the port 6 and initiates the rotation of the piston-casing and its shaft, the pistons sliding in the former in the manner usual in engines of this class. It will be seen that the arrangement of the parts is such that as the piston-wing 14:L approaches the transverse slot 8 the pressure is equally balanced upon both sides by the admission of steam throughout the opening 6". The wing passes the slot 8 just before the opposite wing reaches the exhaust-port 7, and from that point takes steam upon its rear face only. Oiling-cups 49 are applied to the cap-plates 12, and by a pipe, 50, oil is supplied to the eapplates 12, and to the vertical faces of the piston-casing and packing-plates. A cup, 51, is mounted upon the cylinder to supply the peripheral surface of the piston-case, and the shaft-bearings may be oiled by any devices suitable for the purpose.

It will be seen that by throwing steam behind the inner ends of the pistons 14 the pressure upon their outer ends is overbalanced just far enough to produce a practically steamtight contact with the cylinder. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 8, however, a comparatively small steam -space is all that is required, since there is no counteracting pressure to overcome.

The engine may be conveniently supported upon legs 52, bolted to the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 1.

rIhe connection between the steam-pipe 19 and the power-sliaft 11 is vformed in the manner following: Into the end of the shaft is tapped a short section of pipe, 53, upon which is placed a collar, 53, having a male thread upon its periphery, and a flange, 54. Upon the end of the pipe 53 is a ilange, 55, which enters the enlarged end of the elbow 56. Between this iange and the collar 53 is placed a suitable packingring, 57, and a female thread is formed in the end of the elbow to receive the eXteriorly-threaded collar 53. By turning up the latter against the packing-ring 57 a tight joint is produced, while at the same time the shaft and the pipe 53 are at liberty to revolve. J am-nuts 25 are turned upon the threaded ends of the bolts 25 to secure the latter at any point to which they are ad'- justed.

IVe may use in place of steam either air, gas, or water; but in employing the latter it is desirable to widen the opening which connects the outlet-port with the cylinder, leaving only a sufficient bearing for the wings of the pistons. In other respects no substantial chaiige is required, and the alteration mentioned is only necessary1 when water is used in order to obtain the higher speeds.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is* 1. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the piston-casing having continuous peripheral flanges, of packing-plates adjustable upon the power-shaft and having annular grooves which receive said iianges, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the piston-casing, of pistons arranged to slide therein, a spring separating the inner ends of said pistons, and a hollow shaft carrying said piston casing and communicating with the steam-supply and with the chamber containing said spring, substantially as desoribed.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the piston casing and the pistons sliding therein, of wings mounted upon each piston and composed of two sections, steam-spaces being left between the sections by which they are driven laterally outward at right angles to the sliding pistons, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the power-shaft, of a separate pulley-shaft, the two being connected by a crank-arm upon one carrying a pin which journals in a box sliding in a crank-arm upon the other, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the cylinder having steam and exhaust ports, each communicating with said cylinder by an elongated slot formed centrally in the wall thereof and having'a transverse slot at the upper extremity, of thepiston-casing and sliding pistons having wings, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the cylinder havi ing steam and exhaust ports 6and 7, separated by a bridge, 9, of the valve composed of the chambered body 28, having a slot, 30, and the circular eccentric heads 29, substantially as described.

7. The combinatiomwith the pistons 14,having slotted ends, of wings constructed in two separable sections, 39 and 39, having slots 41 and steam-spaces 43, and the bolt 42 passing through the slotted end of the piston, substantially as described.

I OO

IIO

8. The coinbination,with the power-shaft 11,

having a slotted crank-arm, 48, and ajournalbox, 47, mounted therein, of-a separate pulleyshaft having a crank-arm, 45, and a pin, 46, journaling in the box 47 substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the packing-plates 22, having annular grooves formed in their inner faces, of the piston-casing 13, having peripheral flanges 26, and the cap-plates having adj usting-screws 24 and holding-screws 25, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the rotary valve having the body 28 and the slot 30, of the ec- In testimony whereof We afx our signatures Io in presence of two Witnesses.

W. H; CONVER. GEORGE M. SHEFFER.'

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NoRRIs, Jos. L. COOMBs.

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