US428933A

US428933A - Steam-engine indicator

Info

Publication number: US428933A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1907-05-27

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. S. M0 KAY.

STEAM ENGINE INDICATOR. v

Patented May 27, 1,890k

1,1 l lll ma noms ruins co., mum uw (No Model.) 2 sheetsE-sheet 2.

W. S. MoKAY. I

* STEAM ENGINE INDICATOR.

No. 428,933. Patented May 27, 1890.

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HHH K Img/ I( @WA/55555. /NVEN TDH' I f ,24j @am W lUNITED STATE-:s PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. ll/ICKAY, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM-ENGINE INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,933, dated May 2*?, 1890. Application filed June l0, 1889. Serial No. 313,773. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER S. MCKAY, of East Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam-engine indicators, the action of which, when suitably attached to the cylinder of a steam-engine, will determine the pressure of the steam in said cylinder at all points of the stroke of the piston.

The invention has for its obj ect to provide an indicator of the class mentioned, which may be adapted for use on either a right or left hand engine or on either cylinder of a double engine, so that one instrument only will be required, instead of two, as heretofore.

The invention also has for its object to provide a simple and effective parallel motion whereby the pencil attached to the instrument may be moved in a straight line, and thereby be made to trace an accurate diagram.

The invention also has for its object to provide improved means for readily adjusting the different parts in their operative position when necessary to changethe instrument from right to left, or vice versa.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side elevation of an indicator provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the cylinder of the same and a side elevation of the pencil-operating devices, hereinafter` explained. Figs. 3, 4, e, and 5 represent detail views, hereinafter referred to. Fig. G represents a longitudinal section through the paper-cylinder shown in Fig. l. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7, Fig. 6, looking downwardly. Fig. 8 represents a top plan view of the invention as shown in Fig. l.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. l and 2, A represents the steam-cylinder, B the papercylinder, indcatoran instrument and D the piston, of a Thompson well known to those skilled in the use of such devices and forming no part of my invention, but to which my improvements in the present instance are preferably attached.

In the applicationy and use of the indicator, connection being made with each end of the engine-cylinder by suitable appliances, steam from said cylinder is admitted to the indicator-cylinder, which forces the piston upwardly in the cylinder of the indicator against the tension of a spiral spring suitably secured to the piston and resting against the head of the cylinder. To the piston-rod is attached a sleeve provided with a socket at its lower end adapted to receive the lower end of a bar. The latter being connected at its upper end to the pencil-carrying arm, said arm is connected at its outer end to a radius-bar and is adapted to move between vertical parallel guides secured to an arm,

the arrangement being such that the pencil is moved in a vertical line by the piston andk intermediate connections above described. The paper-cylinder is revolved to correspond to the movement of the piston by suitable devices which it is not necessary here to describe.

The foregoing is simply a description of the operation of indicators in general use, and in carrying out my invention I have made certain new and useful improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, a a represent parallel vertical guides suitably secured to an arm b, formed integrally with or spitably attached to a sleeve c, surrounding the upper portion of the cylinder A and iitted thereto, so that it may be revolved thereon. CZ represents an arm, which is commonly called the pencil-carmen7 on 4the outer end of which is formed a sleeve c, adapted to fit the space between the guides a d', so that it may move freely therebetween. In said ysleeve is inserted a pencil f, (see Fig. 8,) adapted to trace a diagram in a common and well-known manner. g represents what I term the socket-bar, said bar being connected to the pencil-arm at its upper end, and extending TOO downwardly into a sleeve 7L, having a socket the piston-rodi by a screw-threaded connection with the same. A step or stud 7c is inserted in the enlarged portion oi' the pistonrod, and the socket-bar is adapted to lightly bear against the same, so as to take up all vertical play and allow the arm to be rocked easily, the arrangement being' such that a ball-and-socket joint is formed, whereby the bar may accommodate itself to the radiusimparted thereto through the pencil-arm when the latter is moved between the guides, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5.

It will be understood by the foregoing that I am enabled to provide a simple, durable, and accurate parallel motion, which is an import-ant feature oi' my invention.

The paper-cylinder l5 is provided with a coiled drum-spring Z, the tension of which may be regulated for different speeds of engines. Said spring is adapted to operate the carrier disk or drum m, to which the cylinder is detaehably secured. (See Fig. 0.) Said carrier-disk is provided with a groove, Figs. l and G, for the reception of a cord n, adapted to be attached to the cross-head of the engine through suitable devices.

Heretofore considerable difficulty has been experienced in guiding the cord to the grooved carrier-disk on, as the connection with the engine is frequently made at sharp angles and the range of adjustment has been limited. To this end I have provided a leading-pulley o, which consists of a grooved pulley ai'iixed to a bracket p, having a polygonal shank adapted to lit a socketed standard q', secured to an adjustable base-plate fr, held in position by a thumb-nut .s to the spindle t, on which the carrier-disk rotates. Said bracket-shank q is provided with a screw-threaded portion a, Fig. 4, to which a milled disk-nut /U is attached, by which the pulley may be held in position. The cord passes over the pulley, which is always in line with the carrier-disk, as shown in Figs. l, 8, and 3, and passes through the portion q, as shown in Fig. l, (which is asectional view on line at l of Fig. 1,) and around the carrier-disk n1.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. l and Jr that the wheel o may be set at any angle permitted by the number ot' sides of the polygonal portion and insures a superior means for guiding the cord than has been used heretofore. Fig. 3 shows the leading-wheel set at one of the angles, which will serve to make clear the point just described.

As before stated, the carrier-disk is provided with a drum-spring I, adapted to move said carrier, and with it the paper-cyli nder, in the direction opposite to that in which it is rotated bythe cord. In using the instrument with engines of varying piston-speed the tension of the spring must necessarily be regulated-that is, in case of a high-speed engine the spring' must have increased tension, and vice versa. In order to secure a convenient means of adjustment, I have provided a collar n', placed upon the spindlet amnd adapted to be turned thereon. Said collar 1s provided en its upper side near its outer edge with a series of holes 2 2 2, with which a set-screw is adapted to engage, thelatter being attached to a ixed arm li on the spindle. 'lhe collar is provided on its under side with a hub b', having means for attaching one end of the spring' Z thereto, the other end of the spring being attached to the carrierdrum. The spindle t being held in a fixed position bythe wing-nut s, it will be seen that the arm being xed to the spindle, forms an effective means of adjustment, as by simplyloosening the screw 5, so as to allow the collar 1u to be turned on the spindle, more or less tension may be given to the spring as occasion may require, as most clearly shown in Figs. t3 and 7.

I have shown in Fig. 7 a device for stopping the paper-cylinder when necessary without unhooking or disconnecting the connect'.- ing-cord, which device consists of a lever c, pivotedon the supportingarm d', and having a strip of leather or other suitable material c secured to one side thereof, adapted to engage the peripheryof the lower portion of the carrier-disk m. An arm f', formed on the lever and extending out a sufficient distance therefrom to exert sufficient leverage for the application of the brake, secures a convenient means for stopping the cylinder, as will be readily understood by reference to the abovementioned ligure.

In changing the instrument from a lefthand (as shown) to a right-hand I proceed as follows: By reference to Fig. S it will be seen that the pencil-carrying bar d is provided with an offset, and that the guides a a are in line with the center of socket-barg and radius-bar g', so that when the pins or studs which connect said socket-bar and radius-bar to the pencil-carrying lever and the latter reversed and the arm I) swung around on its sleeve to the position shown in dotted lines in said ligure, the leading-wheel and its support being adjusted to the dotted-line position shown in said ligure, and at the same time the arm is slipped up on the shaft by removing tapering pin 8, allowing collar w to be raised sufficiently to reverse spring Z and the change is made which obviates the necessity of two instruments instead of one.

IIaving thus explained thc nature of my improvements and described one of the Vforms oi' their construction,`as also a mode of their use, I declare that what I claim isn l. In a steam-engineindicator, the combination of the indicator-cylinder and its piston, the sleeve revoluble on said cylinder, the pencilcarrier having a socket at its outer end, the radius bar or link pivoted at one end to said pencilcarrier and at its other end to said sleeve, the bar or rod g, pivotally connected at its upper end to said pencil-carrier and at its other end to the piston, the paper-cylinder, the arm l), rigid with said sleeve, and the ver- ICO IIO

tical parallelrguides a a', connected to said arm, substantially as set forth, the pencil being guided by said latter arms, as stated.

2. In a steam-engine indicator, the combination of the carrier-disk, a vertical standard having a lateral polygonal socket, alaterallyextending bracket having a polygonal shank corresponding with said socket in which the shank is adapted to be held and adj usted, and the leading-pulley journalcd upon said bracket, all as set forth.

3. In a steam-en gine indicator, the combination, with the carrier-disk, of the leading-pnlley, a bracket to which said pulley is journaled, said bracket being provided with a polygon ally-formed shank and a screw-threaded portion, a supporting-standard provided with a polygonal socket conforming to the polygonal portion of the bracket shank, and a milled nut adapted to be screwed upon the screw-threaded portion of said shank, as set forth.

4. In a steam-engine indicator, the combination, with the spindle, the carrieredrum and drum-spring, one end of which is attached to the carrier-drum, of a collar adapted to rotate on said spindle and provided on its upper face With a series of holes and yhaving a hub to which the other end of the spring is i attached, an arm fixed to the spindle, and a set-screw in said arm adapted to engage the holes in the face of said collar, as set forth.

5. In a steam-engine indicator, the combination, with thc paper-cylinder and carrierdru1n,of the brake for stopping the revolution of the drum Without disconnecting the cord, consisting of the pivoted lever c', having the arm f said lever being provided on its face adjacent to the carrier-drum with suitable friction material to bind against the periphery of the drum, all as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 6th day of June, A. I). 1889.

TALTER S. MCKAY.

Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, C. F. BROWN.