US598627A

US598627A - Steam-engine

Info

Publication number: US598627A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1898-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1915-02-08

Description

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheen 1, C. H, GIFPORD, STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Peb. 8

(No Model.) sheetssneet 2.

C. H. GIPFORD.

STEAM ENGINE. No. 598,627. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

FIG. 2f.

9am, CL. @M j fa TH: cams PETERS co.. Pnooungo., wAsHlNaroN, b. c.

4 Sheets Sheet 3.

1 C. H. GIFFORD.

(No Model.)

STEAM ENGINE. No: 598,827. Pal-8611888888. 8, 1898.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4L. 0. H. GIFPORD.

STEAM ENGINE.

Noi 598,627.

Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

STATES o cHARLEs H. GIEEoRD, oE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,627, dated February `8, 1898. Application filed April 28, 1896. Serial No. 589,458. (No model.)

.T a/ZZ whom it may concern: n

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. GIEPoRD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a four-cylinder single-acting steam-engine in which the cylinders reciprocate on given planes to accommodate the movement of the crank, the piston-rods being connected directly to the crank, the usual connecting-rods being dispensed with.

A further object of the invention is to construct the engine in such a manner as to reduce the friction and tobalance the cylinders; and a still further object is to make the engine inf a compact form, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l isa perspective view of my improved steamengine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on the line 3 3,l Fig. 2, with the cylinders not in section. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the pistons and pistonrods. Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the cylinder-sections. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a piston and piston-rod. Fig. 9 is a view of a modification of one of the cylinder-sections.

A is the casing of the engine, which is.

shaped as clearly shown in the perspective view, Fig. 1, and mounted on the base A. The casing has four sections ct at right angles to each other, in which the cylinders are mounted. Caps A2 are secured to the casing by bolts and have ways ct', on which travel the cylinders B B'.` The body of each cylin- 'der is cylindricahwhile the base b is quadrangular,`as shown in Fig. 7. This quadrangular base is adapted to the ways d on the cap A, so that the cylinders will reciprocate in one direction only, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. In order to balance these cylinders, I connect the opposite cylinders in pairs by yokes B2 and slot the center portion of the yokes to allow for the free movement of the crank, and in the base of the cylinders are packing-strips b2, which make a steam-tight joint between the cylinder and its cap.

D are the pistons, one` for each cylinder,l

and these pistons are connected together by their rods D in the manner clearly shown in the piston proper, D, the piston-rod D', the' right-angled extension D2, and the segmental box D3, so that when the four sections are placed together they will interlock, as shown in Fig. 4, and when secured by the bolts CZ are held rigidly in place. To insure their proper alinement, I form a lip d on the section D?, which rests in a recess d2 in the section D of the adjoining piston-rod, and `I also form a projection d3 on the section D2, adapted to a groove d4 in the section D", so that when the parts are adjusted and secured in position the strains are not taken altogether by the bolts. A suitable bushing d5 is mounted in theV central opening for the crank e of the shaft E. This shaft is adapted to suitable bearings A3 in the casing, and I have shown in the drawings a bearing-boxf, having a series of balls and lwedge-shaped segments f f2, held in place bya cap f3,.a1though it will be understood that any form of bearing may be substituted for the ball-bearing shown.u The shaft also ts snugly the portions ot2 of the case, which are suitably bushed for the reception of the shaft. These portions a2, as well as the bearings A3,`form part of caps A4 A5, the cap A4 being secured to the front of the casing and the cap A5 being secured to the rear of the casing.

I will now describe the valve mechanism by which steam is admitted to and exhausted from the several cylinders. It will be understood that this mechanism may be modified without departing from the main features of my invention.

The valves in the present instance are of the cylinder type and the chests Gr are arranged at an angle in the rearof the casing A and have bushings g, provided with suitable ports communicating one with the passage c, extending to the base of the cylinder, the other communicating with the exhaustchamber C, the interior of` the casing itself ing-box G and has on its enda grooved head i2.

IOn

On the shaft E is a cam E', having the rib e', engaging With the heads i2 of each valverod. The contour of this rib is such that it Will reciprocate the rods and their valves at a given time, so that steam Will be admitted to the cylinders to properly rotate the shaft in the most economical manner.

It Will be understood that in some in stances the engine may be so constructed that the space C may be the steam-space and the engine may exhaust to either the atmosphere or into the casing A, which may be connected to a suitable exhaust-pipe.

In small engines the two opposite cylinders and the yoke may be cast in one piece, but in larger engines I prefer to make the cylinders in separate castings, as shown in Fig. 9, and tie them together by rods B3 instead of the yoke B2.

In order to cushion the cylinders at each end of the stroke When the engine is running at a high speed, I may form dash-pots Jin the casing, as shown in Fig. 3, and provide the cylinders with plungers j, adapted to the dash-pot, thus overcoming to a considerable extent the inertia of the parts of the engine.

The operation of the engine is as follows: The steam is admitted through the ordinary throttle-valve to the casing and the valves are so set that motion will be imparted to the pistons direct by the steam entering'the cylinders in rotation. The movement of the crank will reciprocate the cylinders on their seats through the medium of the pistons and piston-rods, so that While the pistons have a longitudinal reciprocation the cylinders themselves Will have a lateral reciprocation, and as the opposite cylinders are tied together they are counterbalanced, thus obviating the defeet in engines of this type where the pressure of steam forces the cylinders hard upon their seats.

The passages to the cylinders are very simple. The cylinders in this case do not act as valves and are, therefore, not complicated. The valve mechanism is entirely independent of the cylinders and the valves can be set from the outside Without dismantling the engine.

It Will be understood that the engine may be modified to act compounding by enlarging some of the cylinders and rearranging the valve mechanism.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination in a four-cylinder single-acting engine, of the casing, the cylinders arranged in pairs, the opposite cylinders being rigidly coupled together and adapted to reciprocate laterally, pistons and piston-rods, and a crank-shaft to which the rods are coupled so'that the pistons and their rods move with the crank-shaft and reciprocate the cylinders, with valve mechanism controlling the iioW of steam to and from the cylinders, substantially as described.

2. The combination ofthe casing, the four removable caps secured to the casing, steampassages in each cap, valve mechanism for governing the flow of steam through these passages, four cylinders, each cylinder adapted to Ways on a cap, the opposite cylinders being connected together, pistons and pistonrods and a crank-shaft to which said pistonrods are coupled, substantially as described.

3. A multiple piston for a four-cylinder steam-engine made up of four sections, each section consisting of a piston-rod having a piston at one end, a right-angled extension at the opposite end and a quarter-bearing for a crank-shaft, the right-angled extension being secured to the rod of an adjoining piston, the Whole When assembled forming the bearing for the crank-shaft, substantially as described.

. 4. The combination in a multiple-cylinder single-acting engine, of the casing, four removable caps adapted to the casing having steam-passages therein and Ways for the cylinders, cylinders adapted to slide on the Ways of the caps, the opposite cylinders being rigidly coupled together, a four-arm piston structure adapted to the cylinders, a crank-shaft to Which the piston structure is coupled, four valve-chests in the casing, valves therefor, means for operating said valves, the casing of the engine forming the steam-chamber, an exhaust-chamber at one side of the casing, the said valves regulating the iioW of steam to the several cylinders from the steam-chest, and from the cylinders to the exhaust-chest, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a piston structure for multiple-cylindery engines, the four sections, each section consisting of a piston, a piston-rod and a right-angled extension, the extension of one piston-section being adapted to be coupled to rods ofan adjoining section,

- lips on one part adapted to enter recesses on the other part, and bolts securing the parts together, substantially as described. 6. The combination in a multiple-cylinder single-acting engine, of the casing, removable caps, each cap adapted to a section of-the casing and having Ways for the cylinders', steampassages in each cap, front and rear caps having bearings for the crank-shaft, cylinders adapted to reciprocate on the Ways, a piston structure adapted to each cylinder, a crankshaft adapted to the bearings in the-front and rear caps and connected to the piston struc- CHARLES I-I. GIFFORD.

AViitnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, J os. H. KLEIN.