US48362A - Improvement in rotary steam-engines - Google Patents

Description

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARISONT. BRIGGS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,362, dated.June 27, Ali.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARIsoN T'. Baisers, of South Bend, in the county ot' St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary `Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

It is well known that the principle of the rotary engine, or the continuous forward motion of the same, has advantages over the reciproeating strokeof the piston-engine; but in practice the friction and wear ot' a rotary engine render frequent repairs necessary to prevent leakage of steam and other difliculties.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of rotary engines and make them more durable and more easily repaired when valves or slides are employed in the wheel orrevolving center ot' the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aside view of the interior of the engine, the

cylinder-head being removed from the nearer side, so as to show the slides or valves. Fig. 2 is a view of the inside of the cylinder-head removed from the engine. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the slide or valve.

1n the construction of my improved engine a strong cylindrical box or steam-cylinder is made in the ordinary manner. is shown at A, Fig. l. It is usually cast separately from the two end pieces or cylinderheads B and O, and the three parts put together after being nished up. On one side of the cylinder A is litted an adjustable partition, D, to be moved by set-screws E and F. The cylinder-heads are provided with eccentric grooves (one ot' which is seen at e, Fig. 2) for directing the valves, as will be hereinafter explained. The wheel or revolving center of the engine is shown at G, Fig. 1. This is cast with axles extending through the cylinderheads. The end of the axle is shown at H, Fig. 1. The wheel or revolving center is provided with two slides or valves, I K, Fig. 1. Projections upon these valves (see t', Fig. 3) lit into eccentric grooves e in the cylinder-heads. By this means the valves are opened and closed This cylinder as they are rotated. It will be seen by Fig. 2 that this eccentric groove e is of the proper form or curve to push back the valves so that they will pass the partition D.

The steam is admitted to the engine through one ofthe pipes L and M, and escapes through one of the exhaust-pipes N and O, and the engine can be rotated in either direction, according to the admission of the steam on the right or the left hand. All of these pipes are inserted into the circumference oi' the steam-cylinder.

The eccentric grooves for directing the valves may be made lower than is represented in the drawings, so as to be completely covered by the revolving center in order to prevent the leakage of steam.

The operation is as follows: In case the stop- Y cocks L and O `are shut and the stop-cocks M and N are open, the steam will enter the cylinder from the pipe M, as indicated by the arrow, and pressure is applied upon the side of the slide or valve K, thus rotating the central wheel, Gr. As the valve K turns round with the central wheel and passes the end of the pipe N` the steam escapes in the direction of the arrow. Before the valve K thus reaches the exhaust-pipe N the. opposite valve, I, will have rotated far enough to impinge upon the side of the cylinder and thus become closed, so that the pressure or full head of steam is continually acting upon the engine.

By closing the valves M and N and opening the valves L and Ol the engine will be reversed.

The partition D is made adjustable bymeans of two set-screws, E and F. The eccentric groove c directs the valves past this partition.

I do not broadly claim a rotary engine provided with the means for reversiu g its motion; but l What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is j The arrangement of the ingress and egress pipes L M N O with reference to the arrangement ot' the valves I K and the adj nstable partition D and central wheel, G, substantially as herein set forth.

HARISON T. BRIGGS.

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