US650079A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

' Patented May 22, I900.

C. LORENZ.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed. June 3, 1899.1

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

ERS co. PNOTOLITHD WASHINGTON n c (No Model.)

No. 650,079. Patented May 22, I900.

' C. LORENZ.

ROTARY ENGINE. Application filed June a, 1899.}

4 Shee ts8heet 2 (No Model.)

Q/m/lm eooeo %WWM Patented May 22, i900.

C. LORENZ.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Appiicabion flied Jpne 3, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

No. 650,079. 'Patented May 22; 1900.

C LORENZ. ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application flleq June 8, 1899.) v (No Model.) 4 SheetsShee't 4 wi/twaooeo gm awtoz @513 awozmu a m: cams PETERS co, Priommmou WASHINGTON a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CARL LORENZ, OF REDFERN, NEIV SOU'III ALES.

ROTARY-ENGINE.

SPEGIFI CATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,079, dated May 22, 1900.

Application filed June 3,1899. Serial No. 719,321. (No model.)

To all whom' it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL LORENZ, residing at Redfern, near Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, have invented certain new I and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertainsto make, use, and practice the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines.

The object of my invention is to provide a rotaryengine (a) in which the steam or other motive power will be utilized to the greatest advantage; (1)) that will be easily reversed; (c) in which full advantage is taken of the expansion of steam or other motive power; (0?) which will work without the slide-bars, cross-head connecting-rods, and crank-axle nowinuse on reciprocating engines; (6) which will exhaust only once in each revolution; (f) which for a given power will occupy less space than those now in use, and (g) which will be light and cheaply constructed. To obtain these results, I construct an engine with an annular chamber instead of a cylinder; but as this annular chamber performs the same functions as the cylinder of a reciprocating engine I have hereinafter called it a cylinder. The cross-section of this annular chamber or cylinder may be of any suitable shape, either square, oval, or, as shown in the accompanying drawings, circular. This annular chamber is so constructed that an opening or annular slot is left in the innerthat is to say, the smallest-circumference, the sides of which extend to the center and form bearings for the main shaft. The space between these sides is occupied by a disk which is concentrically keyed to the main shaft and whose periphery closes the annular slot in the cylinder. Attached to the periphery and forming part of this disk and placed at right angles thereto is a piston-head which fits inside the cylinder, so that as the piston revolves in the cylinder the disk and shaft revolve with it.

found desirable. In order thatthe steam or other motive power when introduced into the cylinder may cause the piston to revolve un- The main shaft, disk, and pis- I ton-head may be constructed in one piece, if

der full pressure, a shut-off valveis provided, which opens to let the piston-head pass and closes immediately after it has passed, thus forming a closed chamber behind the pistonhead. This shut-01f valve is operated by the steam or other motive power, the supply be ing governed by the action of the main valve, which is operated by the eccentric attached to the main shaft. This shut-oif valve may be placed horizontally, as shown, or may be placed vertically. To insure that the shutoff valve will under all circumstances openat the proper time, asafety-guard is provided, which in the event of the shut-off valve failing to open will be operated by means of a cam fitted on the main shaft, thus providing against any possible failure of the valve. In order to reverse the engine, I provide a reversing-valve which when operated by reversing-lever admits the motive power into the cylinder on the opposite side of the pisten, the said lever at the same time reversing the eccentrics, exhausts, and safety-guard, all of which are hereinafter fully described. My engine maybe made with one cylinder, as shown; but I prefer to use two or more on the same shaft to insure steady running of the machinery and in order that full advan- 8o tage may be taken of the expansion of steam, which in this specification I desire to include compressed air or any other motive power. If considered desirable, my engine may be made compound.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View in side elevation, illustrating my improved engine. Fig. 2 is a transverse sec tional view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the shut-otf-valve cover with steam chest cover removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the cylinder and its adjuncts. Fig. 5 is a view of the inner face of the shut-off valve. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are details.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the body of the engine.

2 is a shut-off-valve cover. I

3 and 3 are exhaust-chambers.

at is the exhaust-outlet. 10:)

5 is the steam-chest cover.

6 is the steam-valve spindle.

7 is the main steam-supply.

8 is the crank, by means of which the steamvalve 6 is operated by the eccentric-rods 9 10 is a shut-oif-valve spindle.

11 is a reversing-valve.

11 is the spindle of reversing-valve 11.

12 is a crank by means of which the re versing-valve 11 is operated.

13 is a pipe carrying steam to cylinder.

14 is a pipe carrying steam to cylinder when engine is reversed.

15 is a toothed wheel keyed on shut-0E- valve spindle 10, which engages a toothed quadrant 16, which is connected by means of a connecting-rod 17 to the safety-.guai'd'IBQ 19 is the main shaft, to which is keyed a cam attachment 19.

20-is an air-cushion the piston of which is connected with the quadrant 16 for the purpose of cushioning the shut-0E valve. The toothed quadrant 16 and wheel 15 may be done away with and a crank keyed onto the shuto'ifi-valve spindle and connected direct totheypiston of cushioning-cylinder'20 sub- 21; is; the

stituted if the shut-ofi valve is constructed toclose on the left side instead of on the right, as shown:- .1. i

1 i reversing-lever, which operates -j spindle l l 'of-reversing-valve 11, eccentric lever.

re'\ersi ng- -link 9 exhaust-valves 3" and 3,- andsafetyguard 18 by means of the connecting-rods 21 21 21, the safety-guard being operated by the lower end of the reversing- -22i's the main supply-port in valve-face.

23 is a corresponding port in valve.

24 is'a port through which the steam enters pipe 13 from steam-chest.

- 25 is a port through which the steam enters pipe 14 when engine'is reversed. 1

26 is a port in reversing-valve 11, through which steam is admitted to port 25-when the valve isreversed.

- Y 27 is a port in main valve which admits the steam through port 28 in the valve-face to open the shut-01f valve.

29 is an exhaust for the steam which is used to'ope'rate the shut-off valve.

29 is an. exhaust-recess in under side of main valve. I

30 is an approximately-circular shut-0E valve mounted on a spindle 10.

31, 32, and '33 are expansion-rings let into the shut-0E valve for the purpose of making steam=tight joints. Said shut-0E valve is rovided with an annular flange 30, broken away at 31 and revolving in arecess 32, as

' shown v the aperture in'cylinder 46.

7 36 is the peripheryof disk 36, which closes The piston is formed on the periphery of the disk 36 and at right angles to it and revolves in the cylinder 46.

37'is the steam-chest, in which main' valve 38 is located.

38 is a valve-face. 42 43 4445 are expansion-rings let into the walls of the chamber in which the disk 36 re volves; 7 When valve 30 is shut, as shown, the cham her or recess 34, which is constructed on the face thereof, extends from A to B, the fixed stop occupying the space from O to B, so that in this position of the-valve 30 the chamber 34 is on the left-hand side of the stop; but when the valve is revolved and. in an open position the side A of chamber 34 meets the side 0 of stop and the side-B travels to'the point D, thus forming the chamber 34 on'the right-hand side of the stop. This action of the shutoff valve 30 is caused by. the alternate admission of the steam through ports 22 and 28, as hereinafter described. I

'13 and 14* arethe main steam-supply ports into cylinder, only one of which is open at a time, 13 being connected with pipe 13 and 14 with pipe 14, Fig. 3.

1,47 is the piston-head, which forms part of and is 'at right angles to the disk 36. 47 is the piston-ring, of which there may be one or more.

X and Y are the main exhaust-ports, only one of which is open at a time. y

It is not essential that the valve 30 should occupy so much space in the recess 30 as shown. It would be sufficient if it extended a little beyond the expansionfstrip 10 is an aperture which fits over shut-offvalvespindle 10.

49 is a fixed stop which may be an integral part of the cover. This stop is shown'in position by dotted lines'in Figs. land 50 is an expansion-strip.

The method of operating my invention. is i as follows: Assuming that the piston 47 has just passed the shut-off valve 30-that;is to say,in the position shown in Fig. 4- -the steamyalve now admits steam through ports 23 and 22, which forces the shut-0E valve 30 into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the steam filling the chamberor recess 34 thus formed on one side of the stop 49 passes through the port 24, pipe 13, and 1nto the cylinder through port 13, which is between the piston in its present position and the valve 30, which is now shut. It is clear from this that no steam can pass through the ports 23 and 22 into the cylinder without first shutting the valve 30. After the steam thus'admitted into the cylinder has moved the piston, say, ninety de- .grees or about half a revolution, the steamvalve cuts off the steam and the pistonis now propelled by the expansion ofthe steam about another forty degrees; but a little before the piston has arrived in this position the steam in Fig. 1 and marked 18, oneend of which is ing at the same time through exhaust 29. The

opening of the valve 30 occurs the moment the piston 47 has passed the main exhaust X. The piston now travels past the valve 30, and immediately it passes the steam from opening side of stop exhausts through port 29 and at the same time the steam is admitted through ports 23 and 22, thus closing the valve 30 and entering the cylinder as before, thus completing a revolution. In order to provide against any possible failure of the steam to open the valve 30, I provide a safety-guard, as shown attached to the lower end of the reversinglever 21 for the purpose of altering its position when the engine is running the reverse way. The other is attached by means of a connecting-rod 17 to a lever-crank 16% which has on one end a toothed quadrant 16, which engages a toothed wheel 15, keyed to spindle 10 of valve 30, while the other is'attached to the piston of a cushioning-cylinder 20.

In order to operate the safety guard, a cam attachment 19 is keyed to the main shaft in such a position that should the steam fail to open the valve the cam will press on the safetyguard and by lowering the connecting-rod 17 cause the quadrant 16 to revolve the spindle 10 and so open the valve 30. The action of opening the shutoff valve by the steam is so arranged as to be slightly ahead of the cam attachment on main shaft, so that the mechanical movement only comes into operation if the steam fails to open the valve. The cushioning-cylinder20 is provided for the purpose of cushioning the shut-off valve and prevent any knock against the fixed stop 49 asit opens and shuts.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of mysaid inventioh and in what manner the same has to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a recess being formed in said casin g, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk and fit-- ting in said chamber or cylinder, a rotary shut-off valve having a flange working in said recess, and a stop arranged to engage the face of said valve and limit the movement thereof substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-off valve having an annular flange and provided with a chamber or recess in its face, and a fixed stop arranged to engage the walls of said chamber or recess; substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a recess being formed in said casing, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a 1'0- tary shut-off valve provided with a chamber or recess in its face and having an annular flange fitting in said recess, said flange being ranged to engage the walls of said chamber or recess, a steamrhamber, a rotatable steamvalve located in said steam-chamber and having ports therein arranged to admit steam to said chamber or recess on either side of said stop, and means for operating said steamvalve; substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamberor cylinder, ashaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary sh ut-off valve provided with a chamber or recess in its face and having an annular flange fitting in said recess, said flange being broken away, a fixed stop arranged to engage the walls of said chamber or recess, a steam-chamber,a steam-valve located therein and provided with ports arranged to admit steam to either side of said stop, and means for automatically operating said steam-valve; substantially as set forth.

6. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamberor cylinder, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-off valve provided with a chamber or recess in its face, a steam-chamber, a fixed stop secured to the Wall of said steamchamber adjacent said shut-off valve, ports being formed in said wall on each side of said stop, and a steam-valve located in said steamchamber and having ports designed to register with said former ports; substantially as described.

7. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-off valve provided with a chamber or recess, a fixed stop therefor, a steam-valve arranged to admit steam to either side of said stop and provided with an exhaust-groove, and means for operating the said steam-valve; substantially as set forth.

8. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-0E valve provided with a chamber or recess, a fixed stop therefor, a steam-valve having a main port arranged to admitsteam on one side of said stop and an auxiliary port arranged to admit steam to the other side of said stop, an exhaust-groove being arranged adjacent said auxiliary port, and means for automatically operating said steamvalve; substantially as set forth.

9, In a'rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a

piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-off valve having a chamber formed therein, means for automatically operating the same, a reversing-valve having ports communicating with said chamber and arranged to admit steam to either side of said piston, and means for operating said reversing-valver; substantially as set forth.

10. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or'cylinder, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk ,'a rotary shut-0E valve having a chamber or recess, means for automatically operating the same, steam-pipesv leading to said chamber or cylinder and arranged to register with said chamber or recess, a rotatable reversing-valve having ports arranged to register with said pipes and said chamber or recess, whereby steam is admitted to either one from said chamber or cylinder; substantially as set forth.

11. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a "shaft mounted in said casing, a disk carried thereby, a

piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-01f valve havinga pinion keyed to its spindle, a toothed quadrant pivotally mounted on said casing, a safety-guard, a rod connecting said quadrant and said guard, a cam on said shaft adapted to engage said guard and means for simultaneously shifting said guard and reversing the engine; substantially as set forth.

12. 'In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular chamber or cylinder, a shaft mounted in saidcasing, a disk carried thereby, a piston-head secured to the periphery of said disk, a rotary shut-off valve having a pinion keyed to its spindle, a toothed quadrant meshing therewith, a cushioning-cylinder secured to said casing, a piston working therein, and connected to said quadrant, a safetyguard, a pitman connecting said guard and said quadrant, means for automatically operating said guard, and a lever for simultaneously reversing the engine and shifting said guard; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL LORENZ.

Witnesses:

M. H. HARMS,

BALDWIN VALE. I

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