US395828A - Island - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet '1.

J. T. HENTHORN. AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR THE RECEIVERS 0F COMPOUND ENGINES.

No. 395,828. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

(No Model.)

, Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. T. HENTHORN.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR THE REGEIVERS 0F COMPOUND ENGINES.

Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

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sure STATES ATENT Erica.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE-REGULATOR FOR THE RECEIVERS OF COMPOUND ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,828, dated January 8, 1889.

Application filed January 31, 1888. Serial No. 262,524. (No model.)

To all ZL'I/Z/O'IIL it may concern.-

le it known that I, JOHN T. .l-IENTHORN, a citizen of the lnited States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pressure-Regulators [or the Receivers of Compound Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the construction of compound engines, more especially stationary engines of the compound type, it is very desirable at times that a portion of the exhauststeam from the small or high-pressure cylinder be employed for heating purposes, such exhaust-steam being directly taken from the connection or receiver uniting the high and low pressure cylinders. The quantity of steam thus taken for heating and drying purposesas,'for example, in print-works, paper-mills,&c.varies greatly, not only during each day, but also is affected by atmosphericchanges-as from the extremes of summer and winter.

In orderto maintain even an approximately uniform steam-pressure within the receiver,

it has been necessary, so far I am aware,

to meet the varying demands upon the receiver for such exhaust-steam for heating, &c., to adjust the point of cut oit of the small steam-cylinder by hand. Such manner of adjustment necessarily requires the constant attendance and watchfulness of the engineer in charge. Sometimes in manufactories where a series of drying-cylinders are used they are successively stopped, thereby causing the receiver-pressure to increase rapidly. In such case the engineer cannot make the necessary counteracting adjustment of the cut-off with sufficient quickness to prevent the increased pressure from seriously affecting the efficiency of the engine, aside from the attending danger to it. On the other hand,;

the requirements of the connected heating system may call for an increased quantity of steam from the receiver, when at once a con trary result will be realized from that just described, thereby leaving an insufficient amount of steam of the required pressure for the engine to properly do the work demanded by the conn ected machinery until the receiverpressure is again restored to its normal limit by a readjustment of the cut-off.

The object of my present invention is to overcome the disadvantages before referred to, and to provide an engine with an automatically-opcrating device which maintains a substantial]y-uniforni pressure within the receiver irrespective of the demands upon the reservoir from a heating system connected therewith. To this end I employ a diaphragm mounted in a casing communicating with the receiver. To the diaphragm is connected a suitably-guided rod arranged to independently operate the cut-off rod or connection which unites the latter with the governor of the engine and the valve-releasing mechanism of the high-pressure cylinder, or, in other words, the device is adapted to automatically change the pointot' cut off of the-high-pressure cylinder, whereby a uniform pressure is maintained in the receiver. As before intimated, the device in no wise prevents a full and free action of the governor upon the cutoff mechanism, as common in engines of this class.

My improvement immediately becomes antomatieall y operative in the event of a portion of the steam being taken from the receiver and used independently of the large or lowpressure cylinder of the engine.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a front side view of the cylinders and valve-gear connections of a compound engine, the cylinders as drawn being of the Corliss type and arranged tandem. Said figure also shows the receiver communicating With the two cylinders and my automatically-acting device connected with the receiver, and also connected at its upper end with the cut-off rod, the latter uniting the releasing mechanism of the high-pressure cylinder and governor. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is an enlarged side elevation, in partial section, of my automatic pressure-controlling device viewed from the opposite side of the engine. Fig. 3 is a partial side view, and Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof.

The following is a more detailed description of my invention, including the manner of its general operation:

A in the drawings designates the smaller or high-pressure cylinder, and T3 the 'large or lowpressu1.'e cylinder, each being provided with v1'1lvegear of the (.orliss type, as before stated. The in let or steam valves are mounted on stems 71, which are actuated to produce a cut-off, as usual, vacuum pots r, connected. with the valve-arm, &e., serving to close the valves after being tripped by the governor.

1c indicates the wrist-plate of the small cylinder, the same being mounted to vibrate on a central stud and having four links or connections, which are jointed to the four valve-arms. to the wrist-plate through the medium of a connection, U, jointed thereto and to a similar wrist-plate, 11 of the large cylinder, this last-mnnedwrist-plate in turn beingvibrated by a rod, '1', which is reciprocated by an cecentric or other suitable mechanism operated by the main shaft, as commonly practiced. The rear or small cylinder is firmly tied to the front cylinder by a connection, ti the pistonrod 19 passing from one cylinder to the other. The bed or frame 1? is secured to the front end of the large cylinder, also as connnon. intermediate of and beneath the two cylinders located the closed receiver (1, into which the exhaust-steam from the high-pressure cylinder is conducted by a pipe, .3. A pipe, 5 conducts the steam from the receiver to the large cylinder B, where it is ei'nployed in useful. work, and is finally exhausted therefrom into a pipe, 5', connected with a suitable condensing apparatus, also as usual.

(F indicates an outlet formed in the receivers shell for the purpose of taking out steam to be used for heating and drying, as may be desired.

q designates a fly-ball governor mounted and adapted to operate as usual in mechanism of its class. A lever, g, of the governor is made to vibrate in unison with the fluctuations of the governor-balls. Links or cut-olf connections Z1 Z1 are jointed to said lever and to the respective knock-off levers or cams of the steam-valves of the low-pressure cylinder. A connection, c, is also jointed to the lever g, and in conjunction with my device,

about to be described, together with a pivoted two-arm lever, 7, and connected links m 111, performs a like office to the steam-valves of the high-pressure cylinder.

My automatically-operating mechanism, which fluctuates in its action relatively to the receivcr-pressure, is connected dirt-actly with the said rod a, and is supported by a stationary standard, 1), the same carrying at its upper end a flanged truck-1011,0 mounted A vibratorymotion is imparted in a yoke, 11 adjustably secured in position i by a, set-screw, b".

11 indicates a combined. rod. and gear carrying frame restin upon the trt1ch-roll c A which is mounted to turn freely in hearings formed in the frame IT. The end of the rod (1 is made rectangular in section, and is practically a narrow rack, a, resting upon and meshing into the gear wheel or pinion o. A short or rod, 111 having a rack portion, 111?, is re- 'vm'sely arranged at the under side of the pinion and rests upon the frame ll,and is jointed lo the upper arm of the lever 7, carried by the small cylinder, (see Fig. 1,) the two racks be ing in the same vertical plane. A jointed diaphragm-rod, r provided with a rack portion, 1'", also engaging said pinion, is vertically arranged to travel up and down .in front of the two rack s ii rst named, a gu ide-roll, c, mounted in the frame ll, serving to maintain the rack portion of the rod in contact with the pinion, a similar roll, c, at the top of said frame aeting in a like manner forthe rack 11 An arm, 7;, is secured to the pinio1'1-shaft (I exterior of the frame. Said ar111,\vhich is vertical in its normal position, is provided with an adjustably-secu red counter-weigl1t, a, at its upper end, as clearly shown.

I.) designates a hollow casing, in which is mounted and secured a spring-diaphragm, (l, and forming an enlarged cl1a111l'1cr, immediately lj1eneath the diaphragm. A pipe, 6 leads from the receiver (T and eomn1unicatcs with said chamber, the n'essure in the diapl1ragn1-cl1amber and receiver obviously being the same. The lower portion of the rod r before referred to, passes through and is guided by the top of the hollow casing, and is provided with an enlarged disk-shaped slightly-spherical head, against which the diaphragm is always in contact. The dia- 1'1hragn1-rod is made, preferably, in two or three sections, the same being connected by an adjusting device, as a, and further provided with a joint, as 11*. by 111eans of this construction it is apparent that the pinioncarrying frame ii and its attached parts may move horizontally in unison with the gov ernor, the weight being borne by the lower guide-roll, 0 the vertical rod 1* at the same time vibrating from. the point M The diaphragm-rod is further adapted to carry a series of removable weights, a, the same being mounted thereon below said joint.

In the arrangementof the diaphragm-case, 850,]: prefer to locate it so that the toothed. rod a will lead fair to the governor, as usual. I then secure the casing to the door f, and finally connect the chamber f and receiver together by a steam-rape, 6

The general operation of my device, when connected with the governor and receiver of a compound engine, is as follows: lVe will first assume, however, that the diaphragm-rod is weightet'l and otherwise adjusted so as to maintain the weighted arm 76 in a substantially vertical position, of course taking into l 1 account the area of the diaphragm and the wide-faced pinion, 0, secured to a shaft, "1', 5

amount of the receiver-presstnre when the engine is (hung its regular work under ordinary condit1ons-that is to say, pracasses tically, when all the steam exhausted from the high-pressure cylinder is used in the lowpressure cylinder. 'lVhile the engine is thus doing its regular work, should the load vary from its normal amount, the action of the governor will instantly produce a corresponding change in the point of cutoff for both cylinders, substantially as usual in any firstelass automatic engine, my improvement thus far not being brought into action neither does it prevent a free action of the governor. Now we will assume, further, that a quantity of steam of a comparatively low pressure is required for heating or drying purposes. Instead of taking this amount of steam from the main supply by throttling or wiredrawi'ng it down, I first connect a pipe with the recei vcrsa y at 0 -an d lead it to the place where the steam is to be used for said heating or drying purposes. benefit of the expansion in the small cylinder of the steam thus used. Obviously, a later cut off will be necessitated by admitting this additional amount of steam into the small cylinder. Therefore this increased terminal pressure calls for an unequal division of the work done in the two cylinders to the extent of that due to the utilization of the expansive force of the steam diverted for heating purposes, and following which, for a uniform load upon the engine, is a corresponding change in the point of cut off in the large cylinder to thus neutralize this excess of power developed in the small cylinder. As the demand for steam required for heatin is variable during different port-ions of the day, it therefore follows as these changes occur that a corresponding change in the cut off of the small cylinder becomes necessary, even though the By so doing I get. the

engine may be developing a uniform load to supply an adequate amount of steam neces sary for heating in addition to that required to overcome the load upon the engine. The effect of a temporary discontinuance in the use of a portion of the steam for heating taken from the receiver is to momentarily increase the pressure in the receiver, which, acting upon the diaphragm l of myimproved regulating device, elevates the rod r and, by means of the rack r at its upper end, imparts an angular motion to the pinion 0. As the pinion is also in engagement with the racks a m of the cut-off rods (1 and on, leading, respectively, to the governor of' the engine and the small cylinder, movement is thereby imparted to the rod m, leading to the small cylinder, and thus the point of cut off is shortened by the teeth of the pinion reacting upon the normally-stationary rod a, leading to the governor, which is thus held stationary by the centrifugal force of the governorballs.

The action of these several parts more in detail is as follows: The upward movement of the vertical rod r by means of the toothed connection, rotates the pinion 0, and, as the red at is, as before stated, normally stationary by its being under the influence of the ceniji'lillgftl force of the governor-balls, it follows that the axis of the pinion, together with the frame II, which is supported by the guide-roll c will travel in a direction parallel with that rod and carry with it, through the medium of the rack m the rod m, and thus change the point of cut off of the small cylinder independently of that of the large cylinder. The lateral motion of the jointed portion of the rod r resulting from changes .in the receiver-pressure, is twice that of the movement of the axis of the pinion and its frame.

To the pinion-shaft t'is secured the weighted arm 7;. Now, as the pinion is rotated by changes in the receiver-pressure, the arm and its weight 1 are deflected from the vertical or normal position, thus materially assisting to produce a much more rapid change in the relative position of the parts and consequent effect upon the cut off of the small cylinderj It is obvious that the more extreme the variations are in. the receiver-pressure, due to sudden and extreme demands for steam for heating, the greater the angle the weighted arm 7.; will assume, and consequently the latter will exert a greater influence upon the mechanism to automatically produce the properadjustment of the receiver-pressure.

By means of removable weights a, mounted upon the vertical rod r the apparatus may be adj nsted to any pressure desired necessary to be carried in the receiver and the heating system. If we now assume for a moment that the pressure in the receiver is uniform, the rod 2* will therefore be verticallystationary. Consequently any variations in the resistance of the engine will induce the governorbalis to assume a different elevation, and thus shorten or lengthen the point of cut off, as the case may be, in the large and small cylinders. This change in the elevation of the governor will therefore produce a corresponding en dwise movement of the cutoff rods, and, as the pinion 0 is prevented from rotating by its connection to the rack of the now stationary vertical rod "r the pinion and its connected frame H and connections a and on will therefore move horizontallyback and forth upon the guide-spool 0 which latter serves also to sustain the weight of the whole, the rod r meamvhile vibrating in unison from its joint 02 The shortening of the point of cut off in the small cylinder by the excess of the receiver steam-pressure, which elevates the diaphragm (1, produces the effect of allowing the receiver-pressure to again assume its normal condition at which it may be set, while at the same time it has the effect of slightly changing the relative proportion of the power which each cylinder may be developing. This change is instantly felt by the governor and results in the governor-balls assuming a slightly lower elevation, and thus lengthening the cut-off of the large and small cylinders sufficiently to overcome the resistance of the engine. This lengthening of theentoll' in the small well as the large cylinde";

of course disturbs the pressure in the receiver and again brings my regulzittiugdevice into action, thereby shortening the outsell. ot' the small cylinder, and. thus, by the eombimed movements of the e1igine-governor and said device, the speed of the engine and the pressure within lhe receiver are uniformly maintained.

l claim as my invention 1. In an engine of the class Sptt'lfitll, the (annbina-tion, with steam-cylinders provided with cut-olt-valve gear, a receiver connecting the cylinders, and an auxiliary cut-olt-controlling mechan ism, substantially ashereinbefore described, actuated by the reeeiver-press'u re, of a speerlcontrolling governor connected with said auxiliary eut-olt-controlling mechan ism and the said eut-otf-val ve gear, substantially as described, and for the purpose specilied.

2. In a compound engine, the combination, with the steam-eylinders, a receiver uniting the evlinders, a speed-mmtrolling governor, and cut-ot'f-valve gear, substantially as described, of an automatically-operating presslire-controlling apparatus, snbstantiall y as described, communicating with the reeeiveraml connected with the said governorand cut-ottvalve gear by means of suitably mounted and supported toothml rods intergearing with a loosely-mounted gear-wheel, all combined, arranged, and operating, whereby any variation. in the receiver-pressu re from its normal pressure auto'matically produces a chal'ige in valve-gear and mechanism for operating the same, a governor and cut-off rods leading therefrmn and connecting with the releasing mechanism of? the steam-valves, and an ex haust-receiver, as the combination therewith ol a mounted diaphragm communieating directly with and adapted to be automatically actuated by the roceiver-pressme, a vertically-mennted jointed rod llZLVlllg said. diaphragm secured thereto, a tonne mounted to travel back and forth, a pi nion mounted therein havin the upper portion of thediaphragmcarrying rod meshing into the pinion, oppositely mounted and reversely -arranged toothed rods mm, intorgcaring with the pinion and adapted to be reeiproez'ited by said governor, and a weighted arm, as 7r, mounted to vibrate by the action of the pinion, substan tially as shown and hereinbelore described, and for the purpose specified.

l. In a compound engine, the combination, with a diaphragm mountedin a chamber commimieating with the reeeivm' and a jointed and eounterweighted vertically-mounted rod having a toothed upper portion, of two reversely-arranged toothed rods adapted to be reciprocated in unison by the govermir, an. adjustably mounted and guided frame in which the said three toothed rods are mounted, a pinion mounted in the f ra-ii'ieaud havingthe rods intergearing therewith, and a counterweighted arm scoured to the pinion-shaft, the whole arranged and operating substantially as shown and hereinbefore described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence, of two witnesses.

JOHN T. l-IENTl-lORN.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES HANNIGAN, GEO. H. REMINGTON.

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