US472380A

US472380A - meisteb

Info

Publication number: US472380A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1909-04-05

Description

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. J. MEISTER.

Patented Apr. 5, 1892.

INVENTOR By W ATTORNEYS I Q Q S w 3 APPARATUS FOR PISTON PROPULSION.

(No Model.)

( L) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. E. J. MEISTER.

APPARATUS FOR PISTON PROPULSION.

No. 472,380. Patented Apr. 5, 1892.

a u i WITNESSES: i l INVENTOH:

v 4 TTORNEXS PATENT OFFICE.

ERYVIN J. MEISTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR PISTON PROPULSION.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 472,380, dated April 5, 1892. Application filed November 19, 1891. Serial No. 412,408. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERWIN J. MEISTER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Piston Propulsion, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of machinery which is used for propelling vessels by forcing a current of water through the hull of the vessel and ejecting it at the ends; and the object of my invention is to provide a simple apparatus by means of which the water may be easily drawn into the water-pipes, and also to provide means for giving to the Water-pistons an irregular stroke, so that they will havea quick outstroke, thus enabling the water to be ejected with great force and comparatively slow recovery, thus preventing excessive suction.

To this end my invention consists in an apparatus the construction of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the apparatus as applied to a vessel with the strokecontrolling mechanism removed. Fig. 2 is a broken plan view showingthe manner in which the pipes project from the vessel, and more especially the side valves, which provide for lateral movement or steering. Fig. 3 is an e11- larged longitudinal section of the apparatus embodying my invention, and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line 4. 4 in Fig. 3.

The vessel is of the usual construction and may be of any approved type, and it is provided with engines or steam-cylinders 11 and 12, (which are supplied with steam by pipes 13,) which also may be of any usual kind, but which are preferably high and low pressure cylinders. Each cylinder is provided with the usual reciprocating piston 14, the pistonrod 15 of which extends outward through one end of the cylinder in the usual way and through a cross-head 16, to which it is secured. The cross-head is of the common kind and slides in the usual manner between the slide-bars 17. The piston-rod 15 of each steam-cylinderextendslongitudinallythrough the cross-head, which moves in the slideway formed by the slide-bars 17, and connects with a water-piston 18, which moves in the watercylinder 19, the latter connecting with the outlet-pipe 21, and it will be observed that there are two of these pipes, which are arranged parallel with each other and which align longitudinally with the cylinders 11 and 12. These pipes 21 extend rearwardly through the stern of the vessel and are provided with laterally-extending valves 21, of a common kind, which maybe manipulated so that water may be forced out laterally from either pipe, so as to effect the steering of the vessel. Each pipe 21 is provided with a valve 20,which is located on the under side of.

the pipe and adjacent to the water-cylinder 19. The valve comprises a casing 22, afunnelshaped opening 23, leading from the casing through the bottom of the vessels hull, a crossplate 24, arranged transversely in the bottom of the casing 22, and the usual form of flapvalves 25, which are pivoted in opposite ends of the casing and which rest, when closed, on the cross-strip 24.

While I have shown a particular form of valve, as described above, I do not claim the valve as my invention, as any valve may be used which will permit a free inlet of water.

The hull of the vessel will sink into the water in the usual way, and as a consequence the upward pressure of the water will open,

the valves 25, so that the water will flow freely and with considerable force into the pipes 21. The engines are provided with a common flywheel 26. which is mounted between the water-cylinders 19 and is secured to a crankshaft 27, which is mounted on suitable supports 28 and the end cranks 29 of which are oppositely arranged and are journaled in sliding boxes 30, which move in slots 31, produced longitudinally in levers 32, which levers are pivoted at their upper ends, as shown at 33, to supports 34, and the levers 32 align with the piston-rods 15. Each lever 32 is pivoted at its lower end to a link 35, which is shaped, preferably, somewhat like an elbow-lever in order to facilitate its connection with the crosshead 16, to which the front end of the link is pivoted. The link 35 consists, essentially,ot two parallel side bars 36, which embrace the upper slide-bar 17 and which terminate at Ice their front and lower ends in boxes 37 which are mounted on a transverse shaft 38, secured to the cross-head 16. The pistons 14: of the steam cylinders are adapted to work alternately-that is to say, they Will move in different directions-and it is essential that two cylinders and pistons be used together in order that my invention may be successfully carried out.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: \Ve will suppose that one of the pistons 1% is at the extreme front end of its cylinder, as shown in Fig. 3, and in this case the piston of the opposing. cylinder will be at the rear end of the same. In this case the slide-box 30 of one crank 29 will be comparatively near to the pivoted end of a lever 32 and the slidebox of the opposite crank will be nearthe free end of its lever. IV hen the slide-box is well up toward the upper end of the lever, as in Fig. 3, and the piston ll advances, it will be seen that the piston will reach the limit of its stroke while the crank 29 is making about one-third of a revolution, and consequently the water-piston 18 will be moved very quickly in the water-cylinder l9 and the Water in the pipe 21 will be ejected with great force; but the return stroke of the piston will be comparatively slow, as it will have to be made while the crank 29 is making the other twothirds of its revolution. It is obvious that a single piston connected up in this way could not work successfully; but by using two engines one serves to balance the other and the (lead point or center is successfully passed In Fig. l I have shown a single cylinder 39, having double pistons and piston-rods, which connect with a cross-head 40, having pistonrods 4:1, which are adapted to operate Waterpistons like those already described and force water through the pipes 21, which pipes are exactly similar to the pipes 21 and extend to the bow of the vessel instead of to the stern. These pipes may be, however, provided with the driving and regulating mechanism dc scribed above, and in practice this mechanism is preferably employed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the stroke-regulating mechanism comprising a double crank-shaft, slotted levers pivoted above the cranks, sliding boxes pivoted to the cranks and adapted to slide in the levers, and operative connections between the free ends of the levers and the piston-rods of the engines, substantially as described.

2. The combinatiolnwith the pair of engines having alternating pistons,ota com mon crankshaft for the engines, the shaft having oppositely-arranged cranks thereon, slotted levers pivoted above the cranks and having sliding boxes therein, which form the crank-bcarin gs, and link connections between the levers and the engine piston-rods, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the engines having alternating pistons and having sliding cross-heads connected with the piston-rods, of a common crank-shaft for the engines, levers pivoted above the cranks of the shafts and provided with longitudinal slots, bearingboxes for the cranks, said boxes beingheld to slide in the levers, and links pivoted to the levers and to the crossheads, substantially as described.

ERWIN J. MEIS'IER.

Witnesses:

WARREN l HUTGHINSON, EDGAR TATE.