US560252A

US560252A - Rotary engine

Info

Publication number: US560252A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1913-05-19

Description

e e e e l l l null | lll nu Patented May 19, 1896.

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l lil I Hi E.- 0. BENNETT. ROTARY ENGINE.

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(No Model.)

UNITED STATES- yPATi-cNr OFFICE.

EDVARD O. BENNETT, OF IIAYVARDS, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,252, dated May 19, 1896. Application filed February 25, 1895. Serial No. 539,658. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD O. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haywards, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the production of a rotary engine having several advantages in construction and operation over other engines of that class or description heretofore made, particularly with respect to simplicity of working parts, cost of manufacture, and effective conversion of motive force into mechanical power and its economical application to the work to be done.

In motors of the class or description to which these improvements relate, commonly known as rotary engines, the piston or part acted on by the motive force has continuous rotary motion within a surrounding case that forms the cylinder. In the present construction this case or cylinder rotates on a stationary axis, while the part termed the piston is fixed and remains stationary within the case. By suitable and well-known means, such as a pulley and a belt or gearing in place of the pulley, the revolving case is connected with a shaft or part to be moved. The result of this construction is to greatly reduce the friction between the cylinder or case and the inclosed piston and to overcome uneven wear of the surfaces of contact, because the direct strain or pulling force of the load or the resistance of the machinery being driven is removed froi'n the piston directly and leaves that part free to yield and accommodate itself to the surrounding case. It also removes the strain or pulling force from the joints and bearings between the case and the piston to such extent that stuffing-boxes and packing are dispensed with at the bearings.

In connection with these features the invention embraces a certain novel construction and combination of parts and mechanism and the production with and by the same of an improved rotary engine or motor adapted to operate by steam or compressed air or other similar motive force, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the drawings that accompany and form part o f this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of a rotary engine embodying my invention with one side of the cylinder removed and the piston in longitudinal section. side of the engine, showing one-half of the side of the cylinder removed. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal cross-section taken on the line y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a top View of one of the sliding abutments on the piston. Fig. 4. is an end View of Fig. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 a cross-section at y y, of the same part. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section through the center of the revolving cylinder and its supports, the stationary piston being removed. Fig. 7 is a view of the piston removed from the cylinder with a portion of one side broken away to show the internal partitions. Fig. 8 is a detail view, in longitudinal section, of the sliding abutments of the piston; and Fig. 9 isa modification in which a spring is substituted for steam-pressure to press and hold the abutments in place Y against the periphery of the surrounding cylinder. Fig. 10 isa perspective of the middle portion of the stationary shaft on which the cylinder rotates. Figs. 1l and l2 are details, front and side views, of the means that holds the shaft from turning with the cylinder.

A indicates the casel or cylinder. P P are pillow-blocks or uprights of a suitable engineframe with bearing PX for trunnions or journal portions A2 on the cylinder.

B is a stationary shaft extending through the case at the center and through the journal portions to the outside at both ends. This shaft forms both a support for the stationary piston C within the case and a conductor for the live steam into and for the exhaust-steam from an annular steam-space X between the piston and the surrounding cylinder. The shaft is made of heavy tubing, and to one end is connected a supply-pipe D from the steamgenerator and to the other end a pipe E to carry off the exhaust-steam. The inlet side ZX is separated from the exhaust side eX by a plug or solid portion B in the middle portion of the shaft, and on either side of it are situated the steam-ports or inlet-openings DX DX, that connect the steam chambers or compartments in the piston with the inlet-passage ZX and the ports or openings E E between the Fig. 2 is an elevation from the same IOO exhaust-chambers in the piston and the outlet-passage eX through the shaft.

The piston has the form of a narrow cylinder the diameter of which is considerably greater than the width, and the flat sides are finished smooth and itted closely to the corresponding fiat sides of the surrounding case. Its external diameter at the circular rim be ing less than the interior measurement of the case leaves the annular steam-space X between it and the periphery of the case, and at points on the inside of the ease diametrically opposite to each other are abutments I-I II', extending` on radial lines toward the axis and sitting closely to the rim of the stationary piston, thereby dividing the annular space into two separate parts. The interior hollow space in the piston is divided by upright partitions l l on opposite sides of the center 3 into divisions, and these again into the two separate chambers or compartments c c2 by partitions 2 2, extending from the center to the rim of the piston.

The compartments indicated by the letter c connect with the pressure side of the central pipe B through the ports I) and the other compartments c2 with the exhaust side through the exhaustports EX. The said compartments communicate in turn with the space between the rim of the piston and the surrounding cylinder through the ports and passages in the partitions 2 and the passages in the sliding abutments G, which act as valves to regulate and control the admission and the exhaust of the steam. The cylindrical cavity or recess 0, containing the slid ing abutment G, is connected with the two compartments c' c2 by the ports et and 5 in the partitions 2. The seats G are of cylindrical shape, and the sliding abutments G G are of corresponding forni and are iitted to slide smoothly in and out. By using cylindrical blocks I secure a close it and tight joints between these abutments and the piston with* out the use of packing. In the top and the bottom sides of these blocks are longitudinal grooves or channels g@ forming connectingpassages between the ports 4.- 5 in the partitions 2 2 and the space outside the piston when the blocks set out from the body of the piston, and thus the two parts into which the cylinder-space between the two abutments is divided bythe outsiandin g blocks take in the motive power from vthe chamber c through one port and the passage on the stationary abutment and exhaust or discharge from the opposite side of the stationary abutment through the other passage g and the port 5.

The abutments G G are stationary excepting at those points or intervals in the revolution of the cylinder where the inwardly-projecting portions of the cylinder-rim pass the abutments, and at such points they are pressed into the rim of the piston against the pressure of the spring, or other means used in place of the springs, and are forced out by such means as their ends pass over the end of the projections. Steam-pressure is applied behind t-liese blocks to hold them to a seat against the surrounding rim of the cylinder, or springs can be employed in place of steam-pressure. Figs. 1, 3, andSillustrate onemanner of using steam-pressure for that purpose. Through the side of the stationary shaft I3 is fixed a short tube I, extending through the shaft and the partitions 2 into the cylindrical recesses G and setting at the outer ends into a cylindrical recess '7 in the end otf each abutment G. Communication is opened between this tube and the steam-inlet passage ZX in the hollow shaft, so that the steam-pressure is applied and maintained against the end of the cylindrical recess 7, the result of which is to hold the cylindrical blocks G in workin g contact with the periphery ot the cylinder. A spring fm, applied as shown in Fig. i), will produce the same eifect. In that construction the cross-tube II forms a guide for the spring. It will be noticed that the sliding abutments operate as valves to cut oit and let in the steam-pressure at the points where the cylinder abuutnients Il' pass the sliding abutments, but at all other times they form stationary abutments, against which the in otive power acts on the pressure side and thus causes the cylinder to rotate. As these pieces G- in diameter are somewhat smaller than the space between the flat sides of the cylinder, there is left a narrow space between the sides oi the cylinder and the abutment G that requires to be closed, and for this purpose packing strips or blocks S are set in the sides of the abutment with suitable projection to fit closely against the internal perpendicular walls ot the cylinder and of proper length to extend l' rom -the rim of the piston to the rim of the cylinder. These blocks S set in recesses in the sides of the abutments G and are pressed out by springs S against the sides of the cylinder. Rccesses 8 are also made in the sides of the piston to let in the heads of the abutmen ts flush with the rim of the piston. Similar packing strips or blocks T, with springs behind them, are set into the ends of the cylinder abutments II to secure close joints between the rim of the piston and these abutments.

Close joints between the sides of the stationary piston and the sides of the revolving cylinder are produced by packing-rings V, let into grooves in the sides of the cylinder.

One side or head of the cylinder is attached to the main body portion by a screw-joint A3, the thread being cut contrary to the direction. in which the cylinder rotates, so that it will not become loosened by the movement of the cylinder.

rlhe trunnions are bored for the stationary shaft and journal portions are turned on the ends. The trunnion on one side is len gthened to take a gear or pulley N, by which the rotative movement of the case is applied to the machine or part to be driven. On the ends of the stationary shaft, projecting beyond the boxes, are secured collars 7, having lugs or IOO IIC

projections IV', and on the frame are provided iixed stops P2, one above and one be-` neath the shaft, so placed that they present fixed points of resistance to the rotative movement of the shaft and prevent it from turning with the cylinder, while, on the other hand, they allow the shaft and the piston to yield and accommodate themselves to the lateral strain or pulling force of the load or work upon the driving-belt, and thus this force is thrown upon and resisted entirely by the trunnion-boxes and not by either the cylinder or the piston, as in those constructions where the piston rotates. The case is stationary and the pulley is on the piston-shaft.

The usual throttle-valve govern or and other well-known parts necessary to the proper operation of the engine are added to these parts that constitute my invention. The same are omitted from the drawings, as they contain no novel points of construction, and they can be applied without special explanation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, of the cylindrical case having hollow trunnions on which it is mounted to rotate, the stationery hollow shaft extending through the center of the case and the trunnions and supported at the ends outside, the stationary cylindrical piston fixed on said shaft and having the internal hollow spaces c c2, the partitions dividing said spaces into the supply and the exhaust compartments, recesses in said partitions and the longitudinally-grooved abutments fitted to slide in said recesses, the partition in the stationary shaft separating the steam or inlet side from the exhaust-side or outlet side,

dividing said space into two chambers, the v springs arranged behind the sliding abutments, and the curved faces on the back of the annular space against which the head of the sliding abutment is held by such spring.

2. In a rotary engine the combination, with the hollow revoluble case having hollow trunnions on the sides on which it is mounted for rotation in a stationary frame; of the stationary hollow shaft extending through the case and its trunnions and divided in the center of the case into pressure or inlet side and exhaust or outlet side, the hollow non-rotating piston fixed on said shaft, and having its interior space divided by radial partitions into two supply and two exhaust compartments, the ports in the stationary shaft connecting each compartment with the corresponding side of the shaft, cylindrical recesses in the partitions leading into the ends from the rim of said piston and communicating through ports in said partition with the compartments in the piston separated by such partition and the sliding abutments movable in the said recesses Y having longitudinal grooves or channels, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

EDWARD O. BENNETT. [L. s] Witnesses:

EDWARD E. OsBoRN, C. WV. M. SMITH.