US582244A

US582244A - Charles tuckfield

Info

Publication number: US582244A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1914-05-11

Description

(No Model.) G. TUGKFIELD.

ENGINE.

Patented May 11, 1897.

UNITED STATES 'FFICE.

PATENT ENGINE.

STECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,244, dated May 11, 1897. Application filed July 81, 1896. Serial No. 601,283. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES TUOKFIELD, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Albany, in the Colony of Western Australia, have invented a new and Improved Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the construction of an engine whose essential feature is the peculiar means devised for the employment of a continuously-revolving piston both during its backward andforward longitudinal travel within the cylinder by the wellknown motive power of steam or other pressure. This result is obtained by the construction of a cylinder with a spiral or groove formed in its inner surface orperiphery. Such spiral is continuous-that is, it returns to its apparent starting-point within the cylinder and at similar pitch to its other half portion, so that traveling in such groove from and returning to any one given point in same a complete circle or circuit will be described within the cylinder. In conjunction with this groove I use a piston having a button or equivalent projection affixed to its rim or periphery,which button works or travels within or engages with above-mentioned groove. Consequently as the piston is impelled longitudinally the button in impinging or pressing against the sides of the spiral causes the piston to rotate,which rotation is maintained as long as the piston is traveling either in a backward or forward direction.

In practice I prefer to construct a cylinder having a one-half-circuit groove that is to result in the piston making half arevolution in its travel from end to opposite end of the cylinder.

That part of the piston-rod which is within the cylinder-is of square section, on which the piston slides up and down, the piston-rod being circular at its'ends, which work in bearings mounted in or upon the cylinder-covers. The outer end of the piston-rod may carry a pulley for the transmission of power.

To prevent any leakage of steam or other motive fluid or liquid through that portion of the groove in which the fixed button is not actually engaged, I form two parallel and surrounding grooves or recesses in the rim of the piston, one at each side of the fixed button. These grooves carry loose buttons which slide easily around the piston and travel in and along the spiral formed in the cylinder.

A clearance-space is provided at each end of the cylinder for the purpose of allowing freedom to the loose buttons while the fixed one is passing over the apparent junctions or return-points of the cylinder-spiral.

The steam is introduced into the cylinder by means of an ordinary slide-valve, or I may use a disk having slots, which, as said disk revolves, said slots open to steam and exhaust ports in end of cylinder.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the essential part of same, and in which Figure l is a longitudinal section, Figs. 2

and 3 being views of the piston with its grooves and buttons.

In the drawings, A is the cylinder, formed with the spiral or groove B.

O is the piston, having the fixed button 0 grooves 0 and loose buttons 0 This piston is formed with a square eye D, which fits on the similar portion D of the piston-rod on which the piston slides. cular formation, as at E, working in glandbearings F, as shown, and having the pulley G for purposes of power transmission.

'The working of the invention may briefly be described as follows: Steam or its equivalent motive power being introduced into cylinderA in the ordinary manner, the pressure of same impels the piston C in a longitudinal direction, and simultaneously, by means of the fixed projection (J consequently pressing against the down side of the spiral B, said piston is made to revolve continuously in the one direction. At such time as the piston arrives at the other end of the cylinder, it receives steam for the return travel, but the action. of the button 0 continues resulting in the rotation of the piston as aforesaid.

An exactly similar result is obtained by the alternate mechanism consisting of the pro jections and spiral groove being formed on the cylinder and piston, respectively. In this latter construction the piston by its grooves impinges on the cylinder projections, which action results in the rotation of the piston.

This rod is of cir-.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Leteral grooves of the piston and in the spiral ters Patent, isgroove of the cylinder, substantially as and I0 The combination with a piston-cylinder for the purpose set forth. provided with a spiral groove B in its inner pe- CHARLES TUCKFIELD 5 riphery and a piston provided with a stud or 7 button 0 extending into said spiral groove, \Vitnesses: and With peripheral grooves 0 of the loose W'ILLIAM FISHER, studs or buttons 0 traveling in the periph- H. T. OFFORD.