US393596A

US393596A - Electric fluid-pressure engine

Info

Publication number: US393596A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1905-11-27

Description

(No Model.)

G. WESTINGHOUSE, Jr.

ELECTRIC FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

No. 393,596. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR,

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"UNITED STATES PATENT C tric-E,

GEORGE IVESTINGHOUSE, JR, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC FLUID-PRESSURE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 893,596, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed July 30, 1888. Serial No. 281,404. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Fluid-Pressure Engines, of which improvement the following is a specification.

- In Letters Patent No. 358, 520, granted March 1, 1887, is described and claimed an electrically-controlled fluidpressure mechanism for the purpose of applying power at one, two, or more points at a distance from the operators stand, and also to cut off, reverse, and reapply such power, as circumstances may require. The invention included in said Letters Patent, generally stated, consists in an engine wherein the controlling-valve is actuated by the same fluid-pressure which actuates the engine, said valve being controlled by electrically-actuated escape-valves.

The invention herein relates to mechanism for locking said valve in its different positions, the locking mechanism being actuated by the same fluid-pressure which actuates the valve and engine and controlled by an electricallyactuated escapevalve.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, is illustrated in sectional elevation a valve mechanism and its electrically-controlled locking mechanism.

In the Letters Patent above referred to the valve mechanism is described and shown as attached to the engine-cylinder; but in the present instance the valve-case 2 is formed on or secured to the auxiliary reservoir 1, the supplyports 3 and 4 being connected to the engine-cylinder (not shown) by pipes 5 and 6. The auxiliary reservoir is connected by the pipe 7 with any suitable source of supply and with the valve-case by a passage or pipe, 8, shown in dotted lines. Between the ports 3 and at is formed the port 9 for the escape of fluid-pressure from one or the other of the ports 3 or 4 and their connections in accordance with the position of the valve 10, of any suitable construction, which also regulates the admission of fluid-pressure into the ports 3 and 4. Vithin the valve-case is arranged a doubleended piston consisting of the heads 11 11 connected by the hollow stem 12, having a recessed block or U-shaped fork, 13, formed thereon for engagement with the valve 10. A small port, 14, in the stem 12 permits of an equalization of pressure inside and outside of the hollow stem. The piston-heads 11 11 are packed in any suitable manner so that leakage past them may be small, or they may be tightly packed and a small leakage-groove (indicated by heavy black lines) may be formed in the walls of the valvecase, or other suit-- able means may be employed whereby fluidpressure may flow from between the pistonheads to the spaces between said heads and the ends of the case in sufficient amount to move the heads in either direction when the pressure in the opposite end is relieved.

In the ends of the case or chest 2,and in line with the axis of the hollow stem 12,are formed valve-chambers for the reception of valves 15 15, which seat outwardly with the pressure.

' These valve-chambers are connected with the open air by escape-ports 16 16, the seats for the valves 15 15 being arranged between the ports and said chambers.

Rods 17 17,arranged within the hollow stem 12, bear at their outer ends against the valves 15 15, suitable springs, 18 18, being arranged between the end collars on said rods and the bottoms of recesses formed in thepiston-h eads. These springs are preferably made of such length and are so arranged as to be operative in seating the valves only as the pistons approach thelimits of thcirstrokes. The springs are aided in seating the valves by fluid-pressure acting through the port 14 on the inner ends of the rods 17 17. The valves are un seated by the thrust-rods 19 19, each abutting against a screw-stem, 20, connected to a cap, 21, which constitutes the armature of a helix or coil, 22, at each end of the valve case or chest, said coils being inclosed within the hollow annular core-extension 23.

The construction so far described is substantially similar to that described and claimed in the Letters Patent above referred to, in which the operation of said mechanism is also fully described.

It sometimes occurs in the use of the apparatus above described that the valves 15 15 are either prevented from being fully seated by dirtor otherwise or are accidentally opened by lightning striking the electric conductors, thereby permitting of such an escape of fluid pressure as will disturb the equilibrium of pressure at the ends of the piston as will shift said piston and with it the valve, thereby actuating the engine. In case the engine thus accidentally shifted is connected to switclr points it will be readily understood that such movement might occur just before or during the passage of a train over the points would cause a derailment of the train. In order to prevent such accidental shifting of the valve mechanism I provide a locking mechanism constructed substantially as follows: On the valve case or chest is formed or secured a cyl inder, 24-, in which is arranged a piston, 25, carrying a pin, 26, adapted when the piston is depressed or moved toward the valve case or chest to engage holes 27 27 in a block, 28, formed on the valve-stem 12. The cylinder 2t is connected with the valve-chest, so as to permit of the flow of fluidpressurc into the cylinder by a port, 29, and provision is made, as described,in connection with the pistonheads ll 11f for the escape of fluid-pressure past the piston 25 by a groove, 30, formed" in the wall of the cylinder, or by other suitable means, for the purpose of establishing an equilibrium of pressure on opposite sides of the piston, and thereby permit of the operation of the spring 21 i nter posed between the piston and the outer end of the cylinder, to force the piston and thepin inwardly. In arecess or chamber, 32, formed in the head of the cylinder and having free communication with the inte rior of said cylinder, is arranged the outwardly-seating valve 33, adapted to close the passage 34, which com municatcs through the port 35 with the open air. The valve is seated by the action of a spring, 36, surrounding the guide-rod 37 and interposed between the valve and the nut 38 in the outer end of the chamber 3 The valve 33 is unseatcd by a pnslr rod, 39, connected by the armature of a helix or coil inclosed within thehollow annular coreextcnsion 16. As the armature and helix or coil employed for operating the valve 33 are similar in construction and operation to that shown at the right-hand end of the valve, I have not considered it necessary to illustrate such parts, but have shown only the case or coreextension within which they are arranged.

In the drawing, the valve and its operating-connections are shown locked to theleft, in which position of the valve 10 fluid-pressure is admitted to the port 4 and ,pipe 6, leading to one end of the operating-cylinder, (not shown,) and the port 3 is connected to the exhaust-port 9, thereby allowing fluid-pressure to escape from the opposite end of the operating-cylinder. If new it is desired to shift the valve 10, the circuit is completed through the helix controlling the valve 33, thereby unseating said valve and allowing the fluid-press are above the piston 25 to escape. The fluidpressure on the under side of the piston 25 will raise it, compressing the spring 31 and withdrawing the pin 26 from the hole 27 in the block on the valve-stem 12. As soon as the abovedescribed unlocking operation has been effected the circuit through the helix 22 is completed, thereby unseating the valve and permitting the fluid-pressure between the head 11 and the end of the case or chest to escape, whereupoplhe essiu-e on the opposite side of said head illfslifidifdodbleended piston and with it the valve 10 to the right. The circuits through the helices 22 and that controlling the valve 33 are broken, thereby permitting the valve 15 and 33 to be seated. As soon as the valve 33 opens the fluid-pressure escaping past the piston through the groove 30 will soon establish such an equilbrium of pressure on opposite sides of said piston as to permit the spring 31 to force the piston down, the pin 26 entering the hole 27 in the block on the valve-stem 12,and thus locking said stem and the parts connected therewith or operated thereby from any movement.

If while the above-described devices are in the positions shown in the drawing the conductors leading to the helix 22 should be struck by lightning,or a current otherwise established in such circuit, thereby opening the valve 15, no shifting of the valve can be'effected, as the pin 26 is in engagement with the valve-stem; and, further, in case the valve 15 should be displaced in any way, or should be prevented from being properly seated when last used, the leakage past such partially-opened valve cannot effect any change of position in the mechanism as long as the pin 26 remains in engagement with the block 13.

Changes of structure which do not materially alter the operation or functions above described are included herein.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In combination with the main or distributing valve of a fluid-pressure motor,a piston connected therewith and operated in one direction or the other by variations in a continuously-acting fluid-pressure, an electricallyactuated valve governing the exhaust from one side of said piston, and a lock for holding the distributing-valve in different positions, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the main distributing-valve of a fluid-pressure engine, and with a piston subject to a variable fluid-pressure in opposite directions to actuate the same, magnets and valves for varying by electric agency the effective direction of the fluid-pressure on the piston, and an electrically-controlled lock for holding the distributing-valve in its different positions, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with ailuid-pressure cylinder and piston, a valve governing the supply and exhaust,a piston to actuate said valve subject to fluid-pressure in opposite directions, a lock for controlling the movements of said valve, escape-ports for alternately exhausting the pressure from one side or the other of such piston, and an electrically-actuated valve to each escape port, substantially as set forth.

4-. In combination with the main distributing-valve of a fluid-pressure engine, a piston subject to a variable fluid-pressu re in opposite directions to actuate the same, magnets and valves for varying by electric agency the effective direction of the fiuid-pressnre on the valve-piston, a piston carrying a locking-pin and subject to variable fluid-pressure, a magnet, and a valve for varying by electric agency the fluid-pressure on one side of said piston, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the main or dis tributing valve of a fluidpressure motor, a piston connected therewith and operated in one direction or the other by variations in a continually acting fluid-pressure, a piston carrying a locking-pin and subject to variable fluid-pressure, an electrically-actuated valve controlling the exhaust from one side of said piston for shifting the same in one direction, a spring for shifting the piston in the opposite direction, and an electrically-actuated valve governing the exhaust of fluid-pressure from one side of said piston, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE, IVitnesses:

W. I). Urrnonlirr, DARWIN S. X'Voroorrr.