US599648A - Rotary engine - Google Patents

Description

, V3 Sheets-'sheet 2. L. STONEBJ. ROTARY ENGINE.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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(NO Model.)

L. STONER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patentedfeb. 22, 1898.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

LEROYSTONER, OF CENTREVIEW, MISSOURI.

ROTARYv ENGINE.

i SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 599,648, dated February`22, 1898.

Application led June 18, 1897.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEROY STONER, of the city of Oentreview, Johnson county, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, vreference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to compound steamengines; and it consists of the novelconstruction, combination,l and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure l is a top plan View of a compound rotary steam-engine constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view ofthe engine shown in Fig.- 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. -4 isa horizontal section taken approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 'is a vertical longitudinal section taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. diagrammatic 1view of' the plate, equal to a section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow, all the parts except the plate being removed. Fig. 8 is a view analogous to Fig. 7 and taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig."9 is a side elevation of one of the rotary slidevalves. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the pistons upon the piston-shaft. Fig. 11 is a' diagrammatic View illustrating a modication.

My obj ect is to construct a compound rotary steam-engine of the type employing overlapping chambers and cog-wheel pistons.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, the engine rests upon the base-plate 20, mounted in a horizontal position and having the flange 21, projecting downwardly and forming the means of holding the plate elevated from the foundation, said `flange 2l extending entirely around the edge of the plate. The flange 2l is reinforced by the longitudinally-extending walls 272, extending downwardly from the plate 2O equal distances apart and equal distances from the portions of the liange.

The'engine consists of four steam-cylinders Fig. 7 is a serial No. 641,345. (No model.)

23, 24, 25, and`26. Each of the steam-cylinders consists of two overlapping cylindrical chambers 27 and 28, as shown in Fig. 3. The

steam-chambers are arranged in longitudinal l steam- chambers 27 and 28 are formed by the castings 3l -and 32. The castings are substantially alike and are attached together by the bolts 33, inserted through the flange 34 in such a. way that the steam-cylinders may be divided on a horizont-al line by removing the bolts 33. A fiange 35 projects outwardly from one end of each of the castings 32, and a similar flange projects outwardly from the castings 31 in alinement with the flange 35, and a flange 36 projects outwardly from the opposite end of the castings 32, and a similar flange projects outwardly from the opposite end of the castings 3l in alinement with said flange 36.

A cylinder-head 37 is placed against the front end of the cylinder 23 and is secured in position by means of the bolts 38, inserted through the flange 36 and through the cylinder-head. A cog-wheel piston 39 is placed upon the shaft 29, and asimilar cog-wheel piston 40 is placed upon the shaft 30, the cogs of said pistons intermeshing, as shown in Fig. 3. The steam- ports 41 and 42 are formed Vertically through the castings 32 and 3l, respectively, in vertical alinement with `each other and on a vertical line substantially half-way between the piston- shafts 29 and 30, the ports being formed only in the castings composing the cylinders 23 and 26.

The cylinder-head 43 is placed against the rear end 'of the cylinder 23, and said cylinderhead is constructed as shown in Fig. 7. The opening 44 is a bearing for the piston-shaft 29, and an opening 45 forms a. bearing for the piston-shaft 30. The openings 46, 47, 48, and 49 are exhaust-ports for the waste steam and the openings 50, 5l, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57 are exhaust-ports forlive steam-that is, the steam to be used in compounding.

The rotary slide-Valve 58 is placed upon the piston-shaft 29 against the rear face of IOO the cylinder-head i3 and the rotary slidevalve 59 is placed upon the piston-shaft 30 against the rear face of the cylinder-head 43, and the peripheries of said slide- valves 58 and 59 are provided with gear-teeth, said gearteeth intermeshing. The rotary slide-valves 53 and 59 are substantially alike and are constructed as shown in Fig. 9. An elongated segmental opening GO is formed through the web of the valve immediately inside of its periphery and extending equal in length to substantially one-fourth of the circumference of the valve, said opening being designed to serve as a passage for the live steam which passes through the exhaust-ports. An oblong opening Gl is formed through the web of the valve a distance from one end of the opening` GO equal to substantially one-fourth of the circumference of the valve, and a similar oblong opening G2 is formed through the web of the valve an equal distance from the opposite end of the opening GO, said openings 6l and 62 being designed to serve as passages for the dead steam which passes through the exhaust-ports. l

A cylinder-head G3 is placed against the rear faces of the slide-valves 5S and 59, said cylinder-head being constructed as shown in Fig. 8. The opening 6l serves asa bearing for the piston-shaft 29 and an opening 65 serves as a bearing for the piston-shaft 30. The openings 9G, 67, GS, and G9 serve as passages for the live steam which comes through the opening GO of the slide-valve. The openings GG and G7 are inclined slightly upwardly and toward each other as they pass backwardly through the cylinder-head and terminate in a single opening upon the rear side of the cylinder-head. The openings 68 and G9 are inclined slightly downwardly and terminate in a single opening upon the rear side of the cylinder-head. The spacing-blocks 70 are placed between the cylinder- heads 43 and 63 outside of the sliding valves 5S and 59, and the bolts 7l are inserted through the cylinderhead 3, then through the blocks 70, and then through the cylinder-head 63, as required to hold said cylinder-heads firmly together, the blocks 70 being of such a size that the slidevalves 58 and 59 are not pinched by tightening the bolts 7l.

The castings 3l and 32 are placed against the rear face of the cylinder-head G3, thus forming the cylinder 2l. A cylinder-head similar to the cylinder-head 43 is placed against the rear end of the cylinder 2l. Then comes another set of the sliding valves 53 and 59. Then colnes the cylinder 25, constructed identically like the cylinder 2l. Then comes another set of the sliding valves 5S and 59. Then comes the cylinder 26, constructed exactly like the cylinder 23,with the exception that a cylinderhead like 63 is used upon its front end instead 0f the cylinder-head 37 and a cylinder-head like the head 37 is used upon its rear end instead of the cylinder-head 43. The cylinders 24 and 25 are secured together in the same way that the cylinders 23 and 2l are secured together', and the cylinders 25 and 2G are also secured together in the same way. The cylinders 23, 2l, 25, and 2G are secured to the base-plate 2O by means of the legs 7 2, attached to said cylinders and to said base.

The belt-pulley 7 3 is Ilxcd upon the forward end of the piston-shaft 29, and a similar beltpulley 74 is fixed upon the forward end of the piston-shaft 30. A counter-shaft 75 is mounted above the cylinders and in a line parallel with the piston- shafts 29 and 30, and a double-faced belt-wheel 7 (5 is fixed upon the forward end of said counter-shaft. A straight belt 77 connects the belt-wheel 73 with one of the faces of the belt-wheel 7 G and a crossed belt 7S connects the wheel 7i with the other face of the wheel 76.

The piston- shafts 29 and 30 rotate in opposite directions, and the belt 78 is crossed in order that the combined force of said shafts 29 and 30 may be communicated to the counter-shaft 75. A drivin g-pulley is attached to the rear end of the counter-shaft 7 5.

All of the cylinder-heads are formed in two pieces and divide upon the same line as the castings 3l and 32, and the bolts 79 are inserted vertically through said cylinder-heads to hold the two pieces together.

The oil-holes 80 are formed downwardly from the upper edges of the cylinder-heads and in positions to lead oil to the piston-shafts. The valve-stem 31 is mounted upon the front side of the engine in a line parallel with the counter-shaft 75 and with the piston-shafts and spur-gears S2 are mounted upon said valve-stem in mesh with the rotary slidevalves 59, as shown in Fig. 5.

Attached to the forward end of the engine is a toothed rack S3, through which the valvestem S1 extends. The teeth upon the rack S3 are concentric to the valve-stem and dcscribe substantially two-thirds of a circle. A crank-arm Si is Iixed upon the valve-stem immediately in front of the rack 83, and a spring-actuated dog S5 is slidingly connected to said crank-arm in position to engage the teeth of the rack 83. The valve-stem Sl is rotated by manually operatin g the crank-arm 84 and is held in any desired position by the engagement of the dog 35 with the teeth of the rack 83.

The valve-casing S6 is mounted in transverse alinement with the cylinder 23, with the valve-stein 8l extending through it, and a similar casing 37 is mounted in transverse alinement with the cylinder 2G, with the valve-stem 8l extending through it. The valve easings 8G and 87 are substantially alike and are constructed as shown in Fig.

The rotary valve 88 is fixed upon the valvestem 8l within the valve-casing, and an opening S9 is formed in one Side of the valve SS.

The steam-pipe 90 leads to the T-joint 91, and one branch, 2, of said pipe 90 leads to the top of the valve-casing, while the other branch7 93, leads to one side of the valve-cas- IOC ing. Apipe 94 leads from the valve-casing to the port 41, and va similar pipe 95 leads from the valve-casing to the port 42. When the valve 88 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the steam is passing through the steam-pi pe 90, then through the branch 92, then through the pipe 94, through the steam-cylinder 23,

and the pistons are operated in the direction indicated by the arrows. When the valve 88 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the crankarm 84 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the rotary slide- valves 58 and 59 are in the position shown in Fig. 5. The position of the valve 88 in the valve-casing 87 is such that when the valve in the valve-casing 86 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the valve in the valve-casing 87 is forming a connection between the pipes 93 and 95. When the steam enters at the top or through the pipe 94, it exhausts through the lower pipe corresponding to the pipe 95, and vice versa. Spring-actuated packing-plates 96 are arranged to operate in the points of the cogs of the pistons 39 and 40.

Referring to Fig. 10, the pistons lare arranged windinglylupon the piston-shafts, so that there will be no dead-center. When it is desired to reverse the engine, the crank-arm 84 is manually operated to the opposite end of the rack from the position shown in Fig. 2. Then the steam passes through the Vpipe 93 and then through the valve and through the pipe 95. Assuming that the valves are in the positions shown in'Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the dead-steam exhaust-ports 46 and 47 are closed, the llive-steam exhaust-ports 56, 57, 50, and 51 are opened, the dead-steam exhaust-ports 48 and 49 are opened, and the live-steam exhaust- ports 52, 53, 54, and 55 are closed. The steam passes through the steampipe 90, through the T-joint 91, through the branch pipe 92 into the valve-casing, through the'valve 88, and then through the pipe 94 to a point within the cylinder 23, where the chambers 27 and 28 meet, and at the upper side of the cylinder. The expansion-chamber is formed between the cogs of the pistons 39 and 40 and lforce said cogs apart, thus rotating the pistons in the directions indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 3. done its work it is confinedin a pocket between the points of two adjacent cogs, as in the upper side of piston 40 in Fig. 3, and the steam from this pocket exhausts through the port 50 in the cylinder-head 43, then through the opening 69 in the slide-valve 59, and then through the port 67 to the next cylinder. When the pocket has moved a short distance farther, the steam may pass through the port 51 to the opening 60. The steam pockets formed between the points of adjacent cogs upon the piston 39 exhausts in the same way through the ports 56 and 57 to the opening 60 in the slide-valve 58, and then through the port 66 to the next cylinder. This is what I call the live-steam exhaust. The steam pass- After the steam has ving through these ports into the next cylinder again expands and exerts a force in that cylinder and then exhausts in the same way cylinder, and when the cogs of the pistons approach each other this dead steam is forced to exhaust through the ports 48 and 49, then through the openings 61 and 62, and then through the ports 68 and 69 to the next cylinder. This dead steam is of little conse# quence and exerts but a slight resistance to the operation of the engine. wWhen the engine is reversed, as before suggested, the slide- valves 58 and 59 assume the position shown in Fig. 9. Then the live steam vexhausts through the lower ports 52, 53, 54, and 55 and the dead steam exhausts through the upper ports 46 and 47.

Referring to Fig. 11, the slide-valves are provided with two openings 60, arranged upon opposite sides of the axial center of the valve, and the openings 61 and 62 are omitted, and the ports through the cylinder-heads are arranged accordingly. By this construction only a slight motionof the slide- valves 58 and 59 is necessary to reverse the engine, while in the preferred form described it is necessary that the slide-valves make a halfrevolution.

1. In a rotary enginea series'of steam-cylinders arranged side by side, in the meeting walls of whichare formed suitable ports, and each cylinder having a pair of overlapping steam chambers, piston shafts vextending through said series of steam-cylinders at the axial center of said steam-chambers, intery meshing cog-wheel pistons mounted upon said piston shafts, and intermeshing rotating valves located between the meeting walls of the cylinders and provided with suitably-arranged ports, substantially as specified.

2. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination with a series of steam-cylinders mounted IOO IIO

side by side, in the meeting walls of which are formed suitable steam-ports, of the rotating interm eshing valves provided with steamports arranged to coincide with the rstmentioned steam-ports, and means for-operating said valves, substantially as specified.

3. In a rotary engine, a series of steam-cylinders mounted side by side, in the meeting walls of which cylinders are formed suitable steam-ports, piston-shafts extending through said series of steam-cylinders, intermeshing pistonsV located upon said piston-shafts, intermeshing rotating valves located between the meeting walls of the steam-cylinders, said valves being loosely located upon the piston- IZO shafts and provided with suitably-arranged steam-ports to coincide with the previouslymentioned steam-ports., L Valve-stem arranged for rotation at one side of the Stettin-cylinders, pinions mounted upon said valve-stem and meshing with one of the rotating Valves, and valves carried bythe valve-stem for controlling the inlet of steam to the first cylinder and the outlet of steam from the last eylinder, substantially as specified. 1o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LEROY STONER.

lVitnesses:

W. P. LATIMER, J. E. HENDRIX.

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