US628123A - Gas-engine. - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 4, |899.

W. S. SHARPNECK.

GAS ENGINE.

(Application filed Aug 24, i898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Model.)

No. 628,123. Patented July 4, |899. W. S. SHARPNECK.

GAS ENGINE.

(Application lad Aug v24, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. SI-IARPNECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TVVO-TI-IIRDS TO JOHN D. ROSS AND EVERETT WV. BROOKS, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 528,123, dated July 4, 1899.

Application filed August 24, 1898. Serial No. 689,430. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. SHAEPNECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This improvement is on the same principle as the'engine shown in my application filed August 6, 1898, having the Serial No. 688,381.` In that engine the cylinderis stationary, and the piston rocks or partially rotates during the reciprocating motion of the latter.

In the present invention the cylinder is made to rock or partially rotate, while the piston has only the usual reciprocating motion.

The invention therefore consists, mainly, in the combination,with areciprocating piston, of a rocking or partially-rotating cylinder and in minor combinations and arrangement of parts whereby the main feature of my invention is carried out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of an Vengine constructed according to my improvement represented with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an end viewof the same. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are cross-sections of the cylinder and piston in different positions.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates the hollow base, having pillow-blocks 2, in which is mounted the crank-shaft 3, carrying the fly-wheels 4 and having a wrist-pin 5, to which are connected the main pitman 6 and a vertical pitman 7, the latter being pivotally connected with one end of a lever 8, whose opposite end is connected to the lower end of a link 9, the upper end of which is pivoted to ears 10, projecting from the cylinder 11, which instead of being stationary, as usual, is mounted in a sleeve or bearing 12, cast or otherwise formed on the top of the base 1.

The cylinder 11 has a iiange 1l', cast integral therewith, and a separate ring 11" on the right-hand end of the bearing 12, which is fastened to the cylinder by bolts or any other suitable fastening device, by which means the cylinder is prevented from moving endwise, although easily rocked by means of the pit- 13 and 13', and an inlet-port 15, through which the gas and air are taken from any suitable source of supply. is shown as one means of supplying the necessary charge, but other means may be employed.

In the cylinder works a hollow piston 17, connectedin the ordinary manner to the pitman 6 and having a port 17', which extends far enough around the piston to register with both ports 13 and 13. This piston has a diaphragm 20, in which is screwed'v or otherwise secured a chisel-pointed contact-piece 21.

At 22 is shown a cyl-indrical block or iiller secured centrally in the cylinder by the cap 23, which is boltedY to the cylinder, as shown. Through this filler runs one part of the electric conductor 24, which is properlyinsulated by its covering 25 and terminates in a spiral spring 26, whose outer'extremity'is bent so as to be parallel with the axis of the cylinder to from a contact-point, which will at the proper times coact with the contact-piece 21 when the engine is in motion.

The operation is as follows: Supposing the engine is started to run in the direction of the arrow, that the valve 14 is set to close port 13 and open port 13, and that the explosion has taken place, driving the piston and shaft in the proper direction until the port 17 has arrived in line with the exhaust-port 14 of the cylinder, and that the latter port coacts with the port 13, as shown in Fig. 4, when the burned charge is exhausted and the pressure brought down to the atmosphere. As the piston continues its travel, the exhaust-port is immediately closed by the port 17 passing beyond the port 13, and a vacuum is formed which will draw in the charge' of air and gas when the port 17 arrives in line with the inlet-port 15 (see Fig. 5) and the crank is passing over the center. As the rpiston starts back the charge is being compressed, and as the cylinder is rocked or partially turned by A iiexible tube 16 IOO means of the pitman 7, lever 8, and link 9 to the position shown in Fig. G the exhaust-port is closed on the return stroke and the charge does not escape, but it is still held and compressed. As the piston continues its motion, the contacts touch, thus making the circuit complete, and as the crank passes over the center the contacts separate and the circuit is broken and a spark formed, which makes the explosion, when the operation above described is repeated. ASuppose the engine is turned to run in the opposite direction. The valve 14 is set to close port 13 and open port 13', as shown in Fig. 7. The engine will nowT run in the opposite direction, because the port 13' will be closed by the movement of the cylinder and the port 13 is closed by the valve 14,` as the charge is being driven toward the ignition-point, and the port 18 is not opened by the movement of the cylinder until after the charge has been exploded.

From the above it will be seen that I have invented a reversible gas-engine on the same principle as that shown in my aforesaid application with a piston having the ordinary reciprocating motion only, thus avoiding the side pressure on the collars on the wrist-pin, which may be found objectionable in very vpowerful engines made on that principle.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown, as it maybe varied in many ways without departing from the spi rit of my invention.

Parts of the engine here shown are illustrated and claimed in my aforesaid application, and no claim is therefore made for them herein.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination in an engine, of a reciprocating piston, a cylinder rocking around said piston in a suitable bearing, an inlet for the motive iiuid in said cylinder, and an inlet in said bearing communicating With said inlet in the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an engine of a cylinder, a bearing for the same, a piston Working in said cylinder, and mechanism substantially as described for rocking said cylinder around said piston, as set forth.

3. The combination in an engineof a rocking cylinder having an inlet and an exhaust port, a bearing surrounding the body of said cylinder having an exhaust-port registering with the exhaust-port in the cylinder and a piston Working in said cylinder, substantially as described.

4. The combination in an engi-ne of a rocking cylinder having an inlet and an exhaust port, a bearing for said cylinder having an exhaust-port registering with the exhaustport in the cylinder, and a piston working in said cylinder having a port also registering with the exhaust-port in the cylinder, substantially as described.

5. The combination in an engine of a rocking cylinder, having an inlet and an exhaust port, a bearing for said cylinder having two exhaust-ports registering at appropriate times with the exhaust-port in the cylinder; and a piston workin g in the cylinder, having a port coacting with the exhaust-port in the cylinder in either of its positions, substantially as described.

6. The combination in an engi-ne, of a rocking cylinder having an inlet and an exhaust port, Aa bearing for said cylinder having two exhaust-ports registering atappropriate times with the exhaust-port in the cylinder, a valve arranged to open one portin the bearing when the other is closed, and a piston working in said cylinder having a port coacting with the exhaust-port in the cylinder in either of its positions, substantially as described.

7. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder, a bearing for the same in which the cylinder rocks, a piston travelingin said cylinder, a crank-shaft operated by said piston, a pitman connected to the crank-shaft, a lever having one end pivoted to said pitman, and a link having one end connected to the lever and the other to the cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of August, 1898.

VILLIAM S. SHARPNECK.

Witnesses;

JAS. C. F. BRADLEY, CHARLES F. MoRsE.

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