US419053A

US419053A - Steam-engine

Info

Publication number: US419053A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1907-01-07

Description

(No Model.) -3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. A. LIDBACK. STEAM ENGINE.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. LIDBAGK.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 419,053. P Patented Ja11.7,l890.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. A. LIDBACK.

STEAM ENGINE-- Patented Jan. 7, 1890.

UNITED STATES y PATENT OFFICE.

.IoIIN A. LIDBAoK, or PORTLAND, MAINE.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 419,053, dated January '7, 1890.

Application filed April 2,1889. Serial No. 305,691. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. LIDBACK, of Portland, county of Cumberland, State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Steam-Engines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to reciprocating engines of that class known as high-speed engines, and has for its object to construct a y balanced engine, as will be deScribeCLWhereby a small and compact balanced engine capable of running at a substantially high speed is obtained at a minimum cost.

In accordance with myinvention the steamcylinder and valve-chest are located below the main er crank shaft, which is supported in suitable bearings by the steam e cylinder, thereby economizing in space and especially adapting my improved engine for marine purposes. The steam-cylinder is provided, as herein shown, with two pistons having their piston-rods extended through the opposite ends or heads of the steam-cylinder and directly connected to rockers operatively connected at one end to the main shaft and constructed at their lower ends, as will be described, whereby the pistons and their piston- Vrods will move in a straight line in opposite directions.

The valves-preferably pistonvalves#are connected to an eccentric on the main shaft, as will be described, so as to reciprocate in opposite directions, the said pistonvalves being provided with steam-circulating ports, so that the steam in the valve- 'chest may circulate freely through the valve to effect a perfect balance of the same.

My invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valve-chest communicating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston-rods extended through the opposite ends or heads of the said cylinder, a main shaft 'located above the said steam-cylinder and having cranks and rockers connected to said piston-rods and to the said cranks to produce opposite reciprocations of the said pistons, and oppositely-reciprocating piston-valves to actuate said pistons, substantially as will be described.

Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation of one form Vof steam-engine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the engine shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the engine on line y y, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the engine on line no', Fio. 3; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section through thevalve-chest on line y', Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the engine, showing a modified form of rocker; and Fig. 7 ,a detail in elevation of the rocker shown in Fig. 6.

The steam-cylinder A, preferably cast in one piece with the valve-chest A', is located above the said valvechest and separated therefrom by a division-wah A2, provided, as herein shown, with passages a a a2 as, forming ports which connect the said valve and steam-chests, the ports a a', located near the center of the said wall,having a common outlet into the steam-cylinder, and the ports a2 a3 communicating with the opposite ends of the said steam-cylinder.

The steam-cylinderA is provided at its ends with suitable heads a4 a5, and the valve-chest with heads a6 al, secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The steam-cylinder A, as herein shown, contains within it two pistons a8 a9 of any usual construction and provided with suitable packing-rings al, and the said pistons are provided with piston-rods @12 a, extended through the cylinder-heads a a5, respectively, and, as herein shown, through suitable stuffing-boxes a, secured to said cylinder-heads.

The piston-rods am L13 are respectively connected, as shown, to rockers Z9 b,' as by keys a, extended through yokes als on the end of the said piston-rods, the said` yokes, as herein shown, being tted upon blocks b2, secured to or forming part of pins b-Son the said rockers. 1.-.

The rockers l) D are connected at their ,upper ends by suitable connecting-rods b4 b5 (see Fig. 3) to crank-pins DG 117, (see dottedlines,

Fig. 3,) herein shown on substantially diametrically opposite sides of a crank-disk bs, mounted on a main shaft b9, having bearings, as herein shown,in pillow-blocks Z910, (see Fig. 2,) supported by brackets 512, secured to or forming vpart of the steam-cylinder, the said main shaft being provided with the usual drivin g-pulley bm.

The rockers Z) b are provided at their lower ends, as shown in Fig. 3, with teeth c, which mesh with teeth ot a rack-bar made, as herein shown, in three

sections

2, 3, and 4, (see Fig. 2,) the sections 3 and 4 being located on opposite sides of the central section 2, and all the sections being supported by a bed-plate c2, the central section 2 of the rackbar being adjustable longitudinally to compensate for wearing away of the teeth, and thus prevent lost motion between the teeth of the rocker and the said rack-bar.

The bed-plate c2 has secured to or forming part 'of it sleeves c3, (see Figs.'3 and 4,) forming bearingsfor rock-shafts c4 c5, provided at their inner ends with rocker-arms c6 c7, the said arms, as herein shown, being rounded or made ball-shaped at their upper ends (see Fig. 3) to engage cup-shaped sockets in sliding blocks o8 c, forming part. of piston-valves within the valve-chest.

`Each piston-valve is preferably composed of two disks c10 cl2, united by webs cl3, (see Fig. 5,) which form -a guideway, into which the blocks o8 c9 are inserted, and in which the said blocks reciprocate in a vertical direction, as hereinshown, to produce reciprocation of the valve ina horizontal direction.

The disks 0,10 c12 are provided on their outer faces, as herein shown, with a threaded col-- lar or iiange c, to be engaged by a threaded nipple on disks 016, between which disk and the disks C10 cl2 are placed the usual packingrings C17.

The piston-valves are reciprocated toward and from each other by means of an eccentric 5 on the main shaft b9, the said eccentric being connected by the usual strap 6 and eccentric-rod 7 to an arm'e'on the rock-shaft c4, and the said eccentric, as herein shown, is provided with a stud 8, to which is connected one end of a link 9, having'its other end connected to the arm e7 on the rock-shaft c5.

The upper part of the valve-chest A forms with side walls of the outer shell or casting and with horizontal divisionfwalls d (seeiFig. 4) chambers d', which extend longitudinally the length of the said valve-chest on both sides, and communicate on both sides with the interior of the said chest by means of central ports d? and end ports cl3 d4, one o f the said chambers having connected to it a steam-inlet pipe dx. The lower portion of the valve-chest forms, with the side walls of the casing and the bed-plate c2, an exhaust chamber or space d5, provided with van outlet-pipe d6.

The webs C13 of the valve and the collar c said webs, are provided with openings or holes d8, (see Fig. 4,) through Ywhich steam may circulate from one to the other side of the valve.

The operation of the engine as thus far del cated by arrows 20 andl, the Vpiston-valves being at such time near the end of their strokes in the direction indicated by said arrows, the ports a a being about to be opened for the admission ot live steam into the steamcylinder, and the ports a2 as about to be opened to the exhaust-ports e e in the wall A', the said exhaustports communicating with the exhaust-chamber d5 through the ports e2 e3. (See dotted lines, Fig. 5.a) As, the pistons a8 a are moved toward the end of their cylinder in oppositefdirections, the main shaft is rotated through the rockers b b and connecting-'rods b4 b5, and by means of the rack-bar c and teeth c en the said rockerbars the points of connection between the piston-rods am als and the said rocker-bars, which points of connection may be regarded as the pins b3, move in the same straight line, and thus insure a true running of the piston. Vhen the pistons a8 .a9 have `reached the end of their strokes in the directions indicated by arrows 20 and 2l, the valves through the eccentric 5 and rock-shafts c4 c5 are moved toward each other to connect the ports cl3 d4 with the ports a3 a2 and the ports a a with the exhaust-ports e e, the steam passing through the Vports d3 d4 into the steam-cylinder behind the pistons as a9 through the` ports a3 a other, thelive steam in the valve-chest between thesaidpistons is permitted to pass or circulate from one side of the piston to the opposite side thereof through ,the holes d8, and th us relieve the said piston-valves from undue pressure on one side thereof and effect a perfect balance and an easy running of the valves.

I do not desire to limit myself to the particular form of rockerherein shown, by which a true running of the pistons is obtained, as other forms by which the same result-s may be accomplished may be used-as, for instance, such as shown in Figs. 6 and '7, wherein each rocker is connected at its upper end to the connecting-rods, and is pivoted at its lower end, as at'lO, to a link l2, pivotally connected to a .solid support as a part of the casting or base of the engine. rlhe rocker is also pivotally connected, as at 13?, to a link or arm 13, forming part of a hub 14 on a piu 15, supported by the casting or bracket 16.

The speed of the engine may be regulated by any usual or well-known form of governon As the valves are moved toward each- IOO IIO

A crank-disk bs is bent or offset substantially at its center, as at Z120, so that the crank-shaft boXes secured on opposite sides of the said disk come substantially in line with the offset portions orhalves of the crank-disk,where by a more compact engine is obtained.

As shown in the drawings, the piston-valves are made of such size as not to completely uncover the ports a2 a3 when the said valves are moved to their extreme outward position; but in practice they will be made so as to uncover the whole of the ports.

l. In asteam-engine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valve-chest communicating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston-rods extended through the opposite ends or heads of the said cylinder, a main shaft located above the said steam-cylinder and having cranks and rockers connected to said piston-rods and to the said cranks tio-produce opposite reciprocations of the said pistons, and oppositely-re ciprocating piston-valves to act-nate said pistons, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-en gine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valve-chest located below and communicating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston-rods extending through the opposite ends or heads of the said cylinder, a main shaft located above the said steam-cylinder and having cranks set substantially opposite, rockers connected to said cranks and to the piston rods, piston-valves located in said valve-chest, and an eccentric on the main shaft operatively connected to said valves, substantially as described.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder provided with a piston, a valve-chest located below and communicating` with said steam-cylinder, and a valve in said chest, of a main or crank shaft supported above the said steam cylinder and valvechest, whereby economy in space is effected, substantially as described.

4. In a steam-en gine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valve-chest communieating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston rods extended through the ends or heads of the said cylinder, a main shaft having cranks operatively connected to said piston-rods to produce opposite reciprocations of the said pistons, piston-valves in said valve-chest provided with circulating openings for the passage of the steam from one to the other side of the piston-valve, and means, substantially as described, to produce opposite reciprocations of the said valves, substantially as described.

5. In a steam-engine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valvelchest communieating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston-rods extended through the ends or heads of the said cylinder, a main shaft having cranks set substantially opposite, rockers connected to said cranks and to the said piston-rods, pistonvalves in said valve-chest provided with circulating openings for the passage of steam from one to the other side of the piston-valve, and means, substantially as described, to produce opposite reciprocations ofthe said valves, substantially as described.

6. In a steam-en gine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valve-chest communieating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston-rods extended through the ends or heads of the said cylinder, a main shaft having cranks set substantially opposite, rockers connected to said cranks and to the said piston-rods, valves in said valve-chest, rock-shafts connected to said valves, and an eccentric on the main shaft connected to said rock-shafts to produce opposite reciprocations ofthe said valves, substantially as described.

'7. In a steam-engine, the combination, with a steam-cylinder and a valve-chest communieating therewith, of pistons located in said cylinder and having piston-rods extended through the ends or heads of the said cylinder, aI main shaft having cranks set substantially opposite, rockers connected to said cranks and to the said piston-rods, pistonvalves in said valve-chest provided with circulating openings for the passage of steam from one to the other side of the piston-valve, rock-shafts connected to said piston-,valves and provided with arms eG e7, and an eccentric on the main shaft connected to said arms, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. LIDBACK.

Witnesses:

ELMER G. Gnnmsn, Guo. L. GERRISH.

IOO