US463758A

US463758A - Steam-engine

Info

Publication number: US463758A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1908-11-24

Description

' (Nb Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. T. LEMON.

STEAM ENGINE No. 463,758. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

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J. T. LEMON.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 463.758. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

WITNESSES: INVE/VTUI? MM 707?: lemon if/g BY W wigs ATTORNEYS STATES STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,758, dated November 24, 1891. Application filed December'24, 1890. Serial Nd. 375,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. LEMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of steam-engines; and the objects of my invention are to provide a double-cylinder engine of such construction as to produce a steady generation of power and a steady movement of the engine in one direction, to connect the pistons with one crank-pin, to facilitate the counterbalancing of the engine, to provide a superior operation of the valve-gear in connection therewith, to provide crossheads of superior construction, to provide improved means of reversing the engine, and to produce these improvements in a neat and reliable manner without complication. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure l is a central vertical section of the cylinder, showingthe crank-disk and the parts connected therewith in elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the crank-pin, showing in section the pin-bushing and crank-rod ends. Fig. 3 is an end view of said pin. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the cylinder guidenecks and the cross-head therein, taken at right angles with the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line a; 00 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. 7 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken on dotted lines 1; Q) of Fig. 6 and showing the reversing gear; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on two planes, as indicated on the dotted lines y y of Fig. 7.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

(It and I) represent, respectively, the steamcylinders of my improved engine, and a b the cylinder guide-necks, which are formed with and project from the heads of said cylinders. The cylinder-bodies so formed are supported in such converging-position upon a suitable triangular frame 0 as to bring their axes at right angles with each other.

m m represent, respectively, the steamchests, which are supported from theinner sides of the cylinders and which may be of any well-known form.

m represents ports which lead in the usual manner from said steam-chests to the interior of the cylinders, and m are the exhaust-ports, which are formed in the side walls of the cylinders and communicating with said steamchests between the ports.

m represents the steam-chest feed-pipes.

d d represent, respectively, the cylinder piston-heads; 61 01 the piston-rods, which project in the usual manner through the cylinderheads into the guidewaysa b. Each of these cross-heads consists, as shown in detail in Figs. 4: and 5, of a cylindrical or tubular body 6 the upper and lower sides of which are thickened, as shown at 6 The inner end portion of each of these cross-heads has its outer surface depressed or cut away at opposite points, as

shown at e and within said inner portion is formed a transverse web, into which is screwed, centrally, the threaded outer end of the piston-rod, said piston-rod being assured in its position in said web by a set-screw e which extends from one of the depressed sides of the cross-head into the web a and has its inner end abutting against the threaded surface of the piston-rod, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

ffrepresent, respectively, the connectingrods, the inner end of each of which extends within one of the cross-heads and is j ournaled upon a transverse pin f therein, the ends of said pin extending within the walls of the cross-head and being prevented from turning therein by set-screws), which extend longitudinally through the thickened portions of the cross-head wall, and their inner ends bearing against said pin.

g represents the crank-disk, which is mounted upon the end of a horizontal shaft g on the forward side of the frame, said shaft being journaled in the apex of the frame 0 at the vertex of the axis of the cylinders.

9 represents a crank-pin which projects eccentrically-from saidcrank-disk, said cranle pin having separated projecting flanges 9 the outer one of which is, as shown in Fig. 3 in the drawings,detachably connected with the outer end of the crank-pin by being screwed thereon. The crank-pin is surrounded between said flanges g by a bushing-sleeve g, the ends of which are surrounded by and rigidly connected with the arms of the bifurcated end of the connecting-rod f. The central portion of the bushing-sleeve g is surrounded loosely between the arms of the connectingrod f by a bushing-ring which is driven or otherwise fixed within a central opening in the upper enlarged end of the connecting-rod The manner of assembling the parts above mentioned upon the crank-pin is as follows: The bushing-ring g is first driven or otherwise firmly fixed within the bearing-opening ofthe upper end of the connecting-rod The fork-arms of the connecting-rod f" are then made to embrace opposite sides of the head of the rodf, and the bushing-sleeve g made to connect said rod f and the fork-arms of the rod f by driving the same through the central opening of said fork-arms, allowing it to pass loosely through the bushing-ring 9 It will thus be seen that the bushing of the connecting-rod f has its bearing upon the crank-pin, while the bushing of the rodf has its bearing upon the bushing of the rod f, The parts having been assembled as described and the central bushing-sleeve slipped upon the pin, the head g is then screwed upon the outer end of the crank-pin.

3 represents the counterpoise or weight formed on the crank-disk g diametrically opposite the crank-pin.

2' represents the valve crank-wheel, which is mounted on the forward end of a shaft F, the latter being journaled in the frame vertically beneath and parallel with the shaft g. This valve crank-wheel is provided a with an eccentric or crank pin 9 which projects therefrom and to which are secured in the manner prescribed for the connecting-rodsf f the ends of valve-connecting rods 7a. The lower ends of these valve crank-rod s are jointedly connected with the upper ends of valve-rods 7,2 M, which enter in the usual manner the upper ends of the steam-chests m and carry on their lower ends sliding valves k, which are adapted to slide within said steam-chests and alternately open and close ports m in the ordinary manner.

As shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the frame is formed of two upright triangular portions, which project from a suitable base. The crank-disk shaft, which is supported, as hereinbefore described, in the apex of said frame, carries between said frame portions a gear-wheel 1..

n represents parallel horizontal rods, one of wh1ch extends between the side arms of each of the upwardly-extending frame portions at points beneath the crank-disk shaft. Each of these rods n has mounted loosely thereon a sliding bearing-piece n, which consists of a short sleeve which surrounds said rod and a short tubular boxingpiece 91 formed with the upper side of said sleeve and crossing the latter at right angles. Bearing within the boxing-piece n are the ends of a horizontal shaft Z which carries on its central portion a gear-wheel Z which meshes with the wheel 1 above. The shaft 6 also carries a gear-wheel Z which gears with said larger gear-wheel Z From one of the boxing-pieces 12. extends outwardly between the frame portions a reach rod or arm 1), the outer end of which is pivotally connected with a lever-arm p, which has its lower end pivoted to the frame.

19 represents a curved stop-bar or toothed quadrant, which has one of its ends rigidly connected with the frame 0, from which it projects laterally, and has its outer end connected with a frame-standard 13 which extends upwardly from said frame. This stopbar 19 is thus supported in rear of the lever 19 above the connection of the latter with the reach-rod. The lever 19 has pivotally connected therewith the ordinary form of springactuated pawl I, which is adapted to engage with the teeth of the quadrant p and which is operated by the usual form of finger-piece t. It is obvious that a connection may be formed between said lever and the remaining boxing-piece by connecting the latter with a shaft or rod extending from and forming the pivot of the lever.

The operation of my device is as follows: For illustration we will suppose that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings-z'. e., the pistons being near the lower ends of the cylinders,and the crank-disk so turned that its crank-pin is vertically beneath the center ofthe disk, and that the ports of the cylinder b and the upper port of the cylinder at are closed by the valves 70. Steam entering the lower port of the cylinder a and filling the lower portion of the cylinder will operate to drive the piston 01 and its pistonrod and cross-head upward. This upward movement will result in the turning of the crank-disk in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, which movement will result in the downward movement of the connecting-rod f, piston rod d and piston (1' of the cylinder 1). The rotation of the crank-disk shaft g thus imparted will transmit, through the gear-wheels Z Z P, such rotary motion to the Valve crank-wheel g, as to open the lower port of the cylinder b when the piston-head (1' shall have reached the lower portion of the cylinder Z). The pressure thus exerted upon the piston (1 will result in the upward movement of the latter, which, in conjunction with the continued upward movement of the piston (Z, will result in the continuous rotation of the valve-disk until the piston (Z shall have reached the upper portion of its cylinder, when the valve crank-wheel will have turned sufficiently to close the lower port of the cylindera and open the upper port, thus imparting a downward movement to the piston cl and a continuous upward movement of the piston cl until the crank-pin g is again past the center of the crank-disk. It will thus be seen that power will be transmitted to one point on the crank-disk from both cylinders, and that at no time will said crank-disk be free from the pressure of one of the cylinders, which will result in a steady movement of said crank-disk in one direction. From the herein-described connection of the connecting-rods with the crank-pin it will be seen that each of the connectingrods is journaled upon a separate bushing, and that the outer bushing being journaled upon the inner bushing the latter forms a bearing for both rods, thus obviating any tendency toward jar which might occur from the lost motion on the crankin or main shaft-bearing. It will be observed that the only friction between the in ner and outer bushings will result from the difference in angularity of the rods. It will also be seen that by the construction described and shown and by having the weight of the counter-balance equal to the working parts of one cylinder and a part of the con necting-rod of the other the counter-balance ot' the engine will be complete in every direction, and by said construction the counterbalance has one set of working parts to work against, or part of both sets at all points. This will enable the engine to run at the highest possible speed without any unequal strain or Vibrating motion of the foundation or boiler on which the engine rests.

The use of the herein-described tubular cross-head with the connecting-rod extending therein and connected therewith, as described, admits of a broad bearing of the connectingrod n with the cross-head pin, which greatly adds to the durability and serviceable quality of said connection. It will also be seen that a desirable increase in the bearing-surface between the cross-head .and the inner surface of the cross-head guide is attained by the construction shown and described.

In case it is desired to reverse the movement of my improved engine the lever 19' may be forced inward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings. 7 This inward movement of said lever will result, through pressure of the rod 19 on the shaft Z in a forcing of the central gear-wheel Z to the posit-ion shown in dotted lines in said figure, the sleeve portions of the bearingpieces n sliding upon the rods 12. during said movement. As will readily be seen, this movement of the central gear-wheel will result in such rotation of the wheel Z as to cause, through the consequent movement of the shaft 4?, a change of location of the crankpm of the valve crank-wheel to the position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This change in position of the valve crank-pin and its connecting-rods will result in such change in the opening and closing of the cylinder-ports as to produce a reversal in the operation of said parts. It is obvious that this method of reversal may be readily and simply performed when desired and that the counterbalancing of the Valve-disk 'imay be attained in the manner prescribed for the crank-disk.

It will be seen that by forcing the Valvegear Wheel Z to a position nearer vertical alignment with the gear-wheels l and Z the lead will be increased and the admission of steam within the cylinder will be shortened an expansion increased, thus producing economy in theuse of steam.

In forming my .improved engine it will readily be seen that I may, if desired, arrange the steam-chests on the upper sides of the cylinders and support the valve disk above instead of below the crank-disk and that other similar changes relating to the 10- cation of parts, &c., may be produced without altering the principle of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the two cylinders a I), supported at right angles with each other, acrank-disk supported at the vertex of theiaxes of said cylinders, a crank-pin projecting from said crank-disk, a bushing-sleeve surrounding said pin, anda shorter bushing-ring centrally surrounding said sleeve, of the connecting-rods f f, the former having the bushing-ring g fixed thereto, and the rod f having, as described, the bushing-sleeve fixed thereto, upon which said bushing-ring is journaled, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine-reversing mechanism, the combination, with the frame, a main shaft and valve-disk shaft mounted therein, and gear-wheels Z and Z thereon, of an intervening gear-wheel Z supported in sliding bearings and adapted to be made to gear with and be supported at different angles with said wheels Z and Z as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN T. LEMON. In presence of- O. O. SHEPHERD, F. H. SHEPHERD.