US435293A

US435293A - Rotary engine

Info

Publication number: US435293A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1907-08-26

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. D. FARMER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

' No. 435,293. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

@11mm/1ER. ROTARY ENGNE.

No. 435,293. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

i fa Ff D ESEEE; \/E LDT-1 @@llm/ 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

C. D. FARMER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

10.435,293. Patented Aug.26,1890.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. FARMER, OF CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,293, dated August 26, 1890. Application led November 5, 1889. Serial No. 329,315. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES D. FARMER, of Cheboygamin the county of Cheboygan and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary 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 pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form partof this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary engines, and is intended as an improvement upon Patent No. 412,07 9, of October 1, 1889; and it relates to that class of engines which consist of an operating-shaft having secured to one end a disk carrying a number of cylinders which have their piston-rods suitably connected by means of pivoted rods to a stationary point outside of the center of said disk.

The objects of my invention are to add strength and durability to the operating-shaft by using a solid instead of a hollow one, by providingsaid solid shaftwith exterior grooves for the inlet of live steam and the outlet of the exhaust-steam, and surrounding the shaft with a sleeve or provide the sleeve with grooves; to provide the revolving disk with two chambers-one for the live steam and the other for the exhaust-and also with inlet and outlet ports which connect the said chambers with the steam-chests; to reduce the cost of manufacture by casting the disk and the cylinders integral; to 'connect the piston-heads of each pair of cylinders to a single pistonrod; to so construct the yokes which surround the reverse-cam that the valve-rods of each pair of steam-chests are connected to a single yoke, so as to produce a parallel motion of the rods; and, finally, to so arrange and combine the parts that the friction is reduced to a minimum, and that only a few steam-joints are necessary.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a steam-engine which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the outside of the disk. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken upon the dotted line X X of Fig. l, which shows the construction of the camyokes and the reverse-lever. Fig.,21 is a detached perspective of the shaft, showing the inlet and outlet channels formed in the exterior surface thereof. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective of the sleeve. Fig. 6 is a detached plan view of the inlet and exhaust chests or hoods P S. Fig. 7 is a detached perspective of a portion of the disk D, showing the guides J attached thereto. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective of the flange O. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective of the perforated plate R. 10 is a detached perspective ofthe disk D. Fig. 11 is a detached perspective of one of th yokes.

The operating-shaft C is supported in bearings Which are secured to the upper ends of the vertical supports B, which 'have their lower ends secured to the Hoor of a building or to a supporting-platform in any suitable manner. Secured to the outer end of the operating-shaft C is the circular disk D, to the periphery of which may be secured the cylinders E in any suitable nanner, but which are preferably cast integral-with the said disk for the purpose of reducing its cost of manufacture. Secured to the opposite end of the shaft is a drive-pulley A', which communicates motion by means of a belt to any desired point. The shaft C is provided `with the Ilanges B at each side of the bearing C', and which hold the shaft in its proper positionagainst any endwise movement. Secured to the outer ends of the shafts D are the friction-rollers E', upon which rests the operating-shaft C at its outer end. Placed loosely around the operating-shaft and` through which it freely revolves is the reversing-cam J, which is provided with a reverselever T, by means of which the said cam is given a half-revolution for the purpose of shifting the valve-rods which are attached thereto, and causing the live steam which is in the steam-chests to enter the opposite ends of the cylinders, and thus reverse the motion of the engine.

The cylinders E and steam-chests R are of the ordinary construction, and are provided withinlet and outlet ports of the usual form, and do not therefore need any further description in'this connection. The valve-rods F of each pair of chests R have their inner ends connect-ed to a yoke. These yokes consist of the parallel bearing-surfaces G', which IOO have their outer ends connected by means of 'said' bearing-surfaces G', .and by means "of which they are adjusted in relation to each :other andto the cam J. Projecting outward from the disk D are the guides I','which guide the inner ends of the valve-rods adjacent to the yokes. By forming these yokes of the construction here shown and connecting the valve-rods of each pair of steam-chests to a single yoke, as here shown, the valve-rods are given a uniform and parallel motion at all times. The piston-rods G extend entirely across the outer face of the disk D,and have their opposite ends fastened tol the pistonheads of opposite cylinders, as here shown, and have secured to them the cross-heads H, to which are pivoted at their inner ends the connecting rods or links K, which have their outenendspivoted upon a stationary pinL, whichiis adj ustably secured in the upper end of the vertical support M.` This bearingpointL is V`placed beyond or outside of the center of the `disk D, preferably one-half the distance traveled by the. said piston-rods.

Extending outward from the disk D upon its outer face are the supports J', through which the piston-rods G freelymove, and to which the inner ends of the guiding-rods K' are secured, and which have their outer ends fastenedyto the innerends of the cylinders E. The cross-heads H, which are secured to the piston-rods G, slide upon and are guided by these -rods K'. It will be readily understood that the pin L beingplaced outsideor be-y yond the'center of the disk D,.when steam `is admittedto `the cylindersand the piston-rods H reciprocate the disk D is'revolved through the-medium-of the connecting rods or links K, which are attachedat opposite ends to the cross-heads of the piston-rods and to the said pin L.

Either the operating-shaft C or the sleeve' Iis provided Vat its inner end with* the channels or-grooves L M', through which live steamwis -admitted to the cylinders and the exhaust-steam withdrawn therefrom, lin the manner hereinafter described. Surrounding thisportion ofA the shaft C is the sleeve I,

whiclikhas upon its inner end the ange or disk-Quinto and through which the operating-shaft C passes, and which ilange is pref'- erably formed integral with vthe sleeve I.'

Formed in the inner face of the flange O is a chamber N', into which live steam passes throughfthechannel or groove L', made in theinnerfaceof the flange O, and securedy therein in any suitable mannergalso made 4the inner Wall of the said chamber.

yZ' and with an inlet-o'peningA".

through the flange O is an opening S', through which steam passes from the exhaust-channel M', which is formed in the shaft C, and this opening is closed against communication with the chamber N' by means of the annular flange T', which extends outward from This opening S is continued on through the plate R', which forms the outer Wall of the chamber N', and connects at its inner end with the exhaust-chamber U', made in the inner face of the disk D. Connecting with the chamber U at their inner ends are the radial channels or openings V', which have their upper ends connecting with the steamchests R. The flange O fits-into a recess formed in the inner face of the'dsk D outside of the exhaustfchamber U' andL pro# vided with a packing of any suitable substance, and which ilangeis bolted-to the disk- D. Suitable packing is also providedA be# tween the plate R' andthe flange O and around the inner end of theoperating-shaft, which passes through the flange O and tlie disk D, and has a cap W secured to it-sonter end by means of a screw, and which assists in holding the said shaft in its proper positionin the flange O and the disk D.

ThechannelM', which conducts the exhaust'- steam from the exhaust-chamber IIC-formed in the inner face ofthe diskD, is made longer than the channel L', which conducts'theA live steam to the live-steam chamber N', and

` Secured to and supported upon the platform A, fastened to the upper ends of the `verticalsupports B, is the' stationary' inlet chestf or `hood S, which surrounds thesleeve I,-and

which is provided withan annular chamber or hood S is provided with the ordinary stuif- This chest IOO IIO

outer end Withfthe ordinary stufiirig-boxlfory forming a steam-tight joint atthis :pointy iFormed, preferably, inthe underside offthis lhood or chest P isl an exhaust-outlt C".- `Thus it will be seen that the openin`g"-'X`-',"A `formed in the sleeveLcommunicates-With the annular chamberlB", formedinthechesti P, and With the grooveM', made `in the exte-` chest orhood S, and with the groove L', formed in the shaft C. Theinner end of the hood oi' chest Sis provided with "an annular groeven f and the adjacent end of the hood or chest P with a projecting flange which tits into the said groove, and a packing placed between them, whereby a steam-tight joint is formedaround the sleeve I at this point. Extending inward adjacent to the outer sides of the hoods P and S are the horizontal rods D, which have their inner ends suitably secured to the bearings C. The hoods P and S are provided with suitable loops or eyelets through which these rods pass, and placed upon the rods are screw-nuts by means of which the hood P and the stuffing-boxes at each end of the said hoods are securely clamped and held in their proper relation to each other. By means of this construction the hollow shaft which is used in the patent above referred to is done away with and a solid shaft placed in its stead, whereby the said shaft is much stronger and much more durable than a hollow shaft. This construction also does away with a great many of the steam-joints and packings which are necessary where a hollow shaft is used for conducting the steam to the cylinders, and the heating of boxes thereby greatly reduced. Extending upward from the supports B or the iioor A are the rods E, which are provided at their upper ends with projecting pins which form stops for the reverse-lever T when it is thrown to either side for the purpose of reversing the motion of the engine.

Live steam is admitted through the pipe A", which is provided with an ordinary throttle or valve for regulating the amount of steam passing through it into the chest or hood S, through the live=steam channel or groove L', formed in the shaft C, through the opening O', made in the flange O, into the live-steam chamber, N', and thence through the openings PQ to the steam-chests. The exhaust-steam passes from the steam-chests through the opening V into the exhaustchamber U', made in the inner face of the disk D, through the opening T', made in the iiange O, to the exhaust groove or channel M', made in the shaft C, and thence to the annular chamber formed in the hood or chest P, and out through the exhaust-pipe connected therewith.

Having thus described my invention, I claim,-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary shaft having longitudinal external live and exhaust steam channels, a sleeve surrounding the said shaft and revolving therewith, which forms the outer walls of said channels, the said sleeve having inlet and outlet ports for live and exhaust steam, a disk secured to the said shaft having channels which connect with said'channelsin the shaft, ordinary cylinders and steam-chests connected to the said disk, and piston and cutoff rods, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of the operating-shaft provided with live-steam channels, the sleeve which surrounds it and which is provided with an inlet-opening, the disk secured to the outer end of the shaft carrying ordinary cylinders and provided with live-steam channels, the piston-heads, and two piston-rods which connect at their outer ends, respectively, to the piston-heads of opposite cylinders, the stationary pin placed outside or beyond the center of the disk, and the connecting links or rods which are connected at opposite ends, respectively, to the said piston-rods, substantially as shown.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of the operating-shaft provided with live-steam channels, a sleeve which surrounds it and which is provided with an inlet-opening, the disk secured to the outer end thereof carrying ordinary cylinders and provided with channels which conduct the steam from the said groove made in the operating-shaft to the cylinders, the piston-rods which extend entirely across the outer` face of the disk and conn ected at opposite ends to the piston-heads, the guiding-rods which are supported adjacent thereto, the cross-heads secured to the piston-rods, the pin which is supported outside of the center of the disk, and connectingrods which are connected at opposite ends of the said crossheads and to the pin, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of the operating-shaft provided with inlet and outlet channels, the sleeve which surrounds it, and which is provided with inlet and outlet ports, the disk secured to the outer end thereof carrying ordinary operating-cyliny IIO shaft, the disk secured to its outer end carrying operating-cylinders and steam-chests and provided with channels which connect said live-steam channel of the shaft and with the steamchests, the reverse-cam which is placed loosely around the said sleeve, thc yokes pro` vided with two bearing-surfaces, the rods which connect them at opposite ends, and the valve-rods of opposite chests connected, respectivcly, to the said operating-surfaces,

whereby the rods are given a parallel and uniform movement, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in i presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D. FARMER.

Witnesses: WM. P. DE KLYNE. R. ROBINSON.