US671674A - Apparatus for generating and utilizing elastic fluids. - Google Patents

Description

No. 67|,674- Patented Apr. 9, l90l.

' W. L. JUDSUN.

` APPARATUS FR GENEBATING AND UTILIZING 'ELASTIC FLUDS.

` (Application :ma mv. 14. man.;

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. f.

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No. 671,674. Patented Apr. 9, mol.

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APPARATUS F03 GENERATING AND UTILIZING ELASTIC FLUIDS.

` (Application tiled Nov. 14, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 671,674. Patented Apr. 9, I90I.

' W. L. JUDSUN. v*APPARATUS F03 GENERATING AND U'TILIZING ELASTIG FLUIDS.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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No. 67|,674. Patented Apr. 9, lam. w. L. JunsN.

APPARATUS FUR GENERATING A'ND UTILIZINGELASTIC FLUIDS.

(Application med Nov. 14,'1899.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WHITCOMB L. .IUDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

iAPPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND UTILIZING ELASTIC FLUIDS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,674, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed November 14. 1899. Serial No. 736.991. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WHITcoMB L. J UDsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Utilizing Elastic Fluids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which fer to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section through a part of the apparatus, showing the closed com bus.

tion -chamber, the liquid-fuel burner, and some of the other parts, with some portions broken away and others removed, on the line 003 w3 ot' Figs. land 2. Fig. lis a vertical section on the line m4 m4 of Fig. 1, showing the acetylene-gas generator, the controller, dto.; and Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section on the line m5 005 of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the com-` pressor, &c.

A series of six cylinders constituting elements of the apparatus are shown as provided with brackets a', adapted to abut with each other in the horizontal and vertical planes to aiford a double tier of three rack-sections and cylinders, and when these rack-sections are securely bolted orotherwise fastened together and to a bed-plate a, extending under the en# tire apparatus, they constitute a rigid frame orsupport for the said cylinders. One of these cylinders to wit, the central member in Fig. 3 of the drawings-is used as a closed combustionfchamber c and is in communication through a coil c' with the cylinder c2, located directly over the same and which serves as a collectingchamber for the elastic fluids generated within the combustion-chamber c,

as will presently more fully appear. A burner b, adapted to burn a liquid fuel, such as commingled air and gas or oil, taps the combustion-chamber c, as best shown in Fig. 3. The comminglingchamber of said burner b is shown as tapped by an air-supply pipe b', equipped with a controlling-valve b2. Said burner b is also tapped by a gas-supply pipe b3, equipped with a suitable controlling-valve b4, which is preferably ot needle-like form. Said air-supply pipe Z9 and said gas-supply pipe b3 lead from suitable sources of supply or storage, from which or through which the air and gas are suppliedto the burnerb under pressure. The orifices or diameters of the air and gas supply pipes are of the proper relative sizes to afford a supply of the said two elements in volumes of the proper relative proportions for the complete combustion of the air and gas by the burner. The said burner b is also tapped bya water-supply pipe b5,which,as shown, leads from the lowermost member of the right-hand stack of cylinders, as shown in Fig. and which is utilized as a water-storage receptacle bwherein a supply of water is contained under pressure. 'lhe water-supply pipe b5 isprovided with a suitable controllingvalve bu. A suitable igniter el is provided, which is shown as of loop-like'form having its outer or open ends outside the shell of the combustion-chamber c and the crown of its loop in position to be struclgor impinged upon by the inrushing gas and' air from the burnertip. One end of the igniter-tube d is shown as broken oi. This end maybe extended to any suitable point where it would open to the atmosphere. This loop d is in the form of a hollow tube and is adapted to the use of an ordinary plumbers blowpipe-lampd' for heating the loop sufficiently to ignite the commiugled air and gas when starting the apparatus.V

From the statements already made it must be obvious that the commingled air and gas will be burned underpressure within the comroo ranged with its axis substantially in line with the axis of the burner-tip, and said coil has its receiving end, which is preferably of bell-mouthed shape, at a point most remote from the burner-tipand in line therewith. The discharge end or extension from the coil c taps the accumulating or collecting-chamber c2. Hence the burning gases, steam, va- .po1, and particles `of Water, if any be left, will enter the open mouth of the coil c and while traversing the length of the coil will be continuously subjected to the heat from the burning gases surrounding the coil. Hence in this part of the necessary travel for the fluids all the water will be converted into steam and, together with the other gases commingled therewith,will be su perheated before reaching the collecting-chamber c2. The collecting-chamber c2 is provided with a suitable safety-valve c3 and is tapped by a servicepipe c4, equipped with a controlling throttlevalve c5. As shown, the service-pipe c4 leads to the valve-chest e2 of an ordinary straightline slide-valve reciprocating engine. The cylinder cof this engine is, as shown, the central member of the left-hand tier of cylinders. (Illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.) The exhaust-pipe for the engine is shown at e3 in Fig. 2. The engine-cylinder e is fitted with a suitable piston e with rod e4, connecting with cross-head e5, mounted to reciprocate in suitable guides e, as best shownin Fig. 5. The cross-head e5 is connected by `rod e7 with4 the crank e8 on the shaft c"J in the ordinary way. The shaft e9 is supported in suitable bearing-pedestals a2, rising from the bed-plate a and rigidly secured thereto. The slide-valve of the engine receives the proper motions for the distribution of the iiuid to the engine-cylinder from a suitable valvegear, such as a simple,ecce11tiicgear or a gear of the ordinary link type. As shown, a simple eccentric-gear isemployed, consisting of an eccentric ew on the engine-shaft e9 and an eccentric-strap e, working on said eccentric and connected t o the valve-stem 612 of the engine distribution-valve, (not shown, but which works in the steam-chest e2 in the ordinary manner.)

The cylinderf, located directly above the engine-cylinder e, is utilized as t-he main cylinder of an air-compressor. (Best shown in Fig. 5.) Said cylinderf is ot course held in a fixed position with the construction already noted and is provided with suit-able intakevalvesfz. Said cylinderfis fitted with a movable piston j", having a hollow rod f3, which is taken hold of at its outer end by an arm f4, projecting radially from, the cross-head e5 of the engine and rigidly secured both to said cross-head e5 and said piston-rod f3. Hence the piston f will receive reciprocating motion from th'e cross-head e5 of the engine. Said hollow piston-rod f3 is tted with a fixed piston f5, having a hollow rod f6, which forms a section of the delivery-pipe from the compressor. The movable hollow piston-rodf3 forms the secondary cylinder or compressionchamber of the compressor and is provided with a transmitting-valvef" for receiving the air from the primary or main cylinder f. The xed piston f5 is provided with a suitable delivery-valve f8. Hence under the acltion of the parts marked f to f8, inclusive, and just hereinbefore noted it is obvious that the outer movement of the pistonfwill draw the air into the cylinder f, that the return stroke of the piston f will compress the air and force the saine through the transmittingvalve f7 into the secondary cylinder formed by the hollow piston-rodfs, and that on the outward stroke of the piston f the air previously caged within the hollow piston-rodf3 will be compressed and forced out through the delivery-Valve f8 of the ixed piston f5 through its hollow rod f6 into the deliverypipe from the compressor. The parts of this com presser may of course be so proportioned that the load will be the same in both directions of the pistons travel. The deliverypipe ff from the compressor extends to the airstorage cylinderf, which, as shown, is located directly below the en gine-cylindereand side by side with the water-cylinder 177. The said air-cylinderj"11 and said water-cylinder 197 are connected at their upper zones by a pipe f12,'having a valve f 13, which pipe serves to render the air-pressure available on the v top of the water, thereby equalizing the pressures in the air and water cylinders. The water-supply pipe b5 taps the water-cylinder b7, and its delivery-nozzle is located at the most innermost posit-ion within the comlningling-chamber of the burner b, or, otherwise stated, the air and gas are first coinniingled and then made to move past the tip of the water-nozzle, and hence an injector action is produced. With this construction and relation of the parts it is obvious that the airpressure on the top of the water will constitute a force feed for the same in case the pressure within the combustion-chamber c is less than the air-pressure on top of the water; but even if the pressure within the combustion-chamber c should rise to a balance with the air-pressure the induction or ejector action .of the commingled air and gas on the water-delivery nozzle at the burner will be sufficient to insure the feed of the water.

For the supply of the gas which is'to be cominingled with the air at the burner an acetylene-gas generator is illustrated, and this acetylene-generator is shown as of suitable form for effecting the generation by feeding pulverized carbid to the Water. By reference to Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that a suitable casing h is divided into an upper carbid-chamber h and a lower or water chamber h2 by a horizontal partition h3. Said partition h3 is not gas-tight, but is provided with one or more perforations h4 for rendering the pressure equal in` all parts of the generator. Saidgenerator is provided at its upper end with a suitable charging-valve IOO IIO

h5, having a casing 710 with hopper-like mouth, and this valve h is of the hollow rotary type and is provided with a handle 71,7 outside the casing for manipulating the valve. With this form of. valve-casing the carbid can be introduced into the chamber 7L through the cap of the same without permitting the escape of the gas. In asimilar manner the water-chamber is provided with a hopper-like bottom hs, terminating in a valve-casing 71,9, fitted to the corresponding rotary valve 7z10, having a handie 71,11 for removing the slaked carbid or debris from the bottom of the water-chamber without permitting the escape of the gas. The Water-chamber h2 is shown as provided with a charging-pipe 7112, with funnel-mouth and equipped with a hand-valve 7t13.

A feed-shaft 7t11 is mounted in a suitable bearing, with its outer end projecting beyond one of the side walls of the casing h and with its inner or screw-threaded end located directly over a pair of ports or passages 7t15, formed in the partition h3. The grooves of the feed-shaft are square in cross-section. The shaft 7t14 is provided with a sprocket 7t10, which is engaged by a chain h, working over a sprocket 71,18 on the engine-shaft e0, as best shown in Fig. 1. The top of the grooved part of the feed-shaft 71,14 is exposed to the carbid, and a deiiect-ing-plate 71,10 is shown in the carbid-chamber for directing the carbid to the grooves of the feed-shaft. The partition h1 is not gas-tight and may extend less than com pletely across the chamber 71. The ports 71,15 in the partition 713 are of less length than the diameter of the shaft. They should extend about one-fourth the diameter of the said shaft. With this construction it is obvious that if the feed-shaft 7t14 be moved lengthwise in its bearing the annular flanges between the grooves 1411 of the same may be made either to entirely cover and close the ports 71,15 or to expose a greater or less portion of said ports to the said grooves 1411. Hence by moving the feeding-shaft 7L14 the feed of the carbid may be either entirely cnt, off or be grad uated, as desired. The grooves 1411 are preferably corrugated or roughened, so as to produce a forced feed of the carbid. The rotation thereof causes a frictional engagement with the carbid and forces the same down- Ward. When once set, it is of course obvious that under the rotary motion thereof the feed from the shaft7t11 will be uniform uhtil the shaft is again moved lengthwise. A splashguard 71,20 protects the water from working back to the carbid-chamber.

The gas-supply b3,.hitherto noted as tapping the burner, connects with the acetylenegas generator for affording the supply of gas. This gas-su pply pipe b3 is shown as equipped with acheck-valve 7t21 near the generator.

It is of course obvious that the air and gas should be delivered to the commingling-chamher of the burner at equal pressures. To accomplish this result, l provide an automatic controller, which is subject to the air-pressure on the one side and to the gas-pressure on the other for movement in opposite directions and is itself provided with connections to the feed-screw h11 for shifting the same to stop or vary the feed of the carbid, and thereby the generation of gas from the acetylene-generator, until the pressures are equalized. Water may be supplied to the cylinder h1 by `any ordinary or suitable means. (Not shown.)

As shown, this controller is in the form of a double bellows-diaphragm, two of which (marked are subject to the air-pressure through a pipe 70, which leads from the storage-cy1inderf11, tapping the pipe 71, and the other two of which (marked 702) are subject to the gas-pressure through the pipe 703, which taps the upper chamber 71, of the acetylenegenerator. This bellows-diaphragm is mounted in a suitable framework 704. The outer leaf of each outer member of the two pairs of diaphragms is anchored to a suitable fixed base-plate 705. rlhis permits the other leaves of each pair of diaphragms to be free for movement under the expansion of the diaphragms from the airor gas. A bar 706 extends between the innermost members of each pair of the diaphragms 70' and 700and takes hold of a pair of parallel rods 707, which extend through suitable guides 708in theframework 701. These parts 700 and 707 constitute a cross-head, which is subject to the action of the two pairs of diaphragms for reciprocating the same in opposite directions. The rod 706 has slot-andpin con nection', as shown at 700, with the upper end of a shipper-lever 7010, which is centrally pivoted to some fixed support by a pin 7011. The fork end of the shipper-lever 7010 works between collars 7012, xed .to the outer end of the feed-shaft 71,11. With this construction it is obvious that the movement of the crosshead 706 701 under the action of the diaphragms 70702 will rock the shipper-lever 7010, and thereby slide the feed-shaft 71,14 lengthwise inv its bearing. Hence if the acetylene gas is being too rapidly generated, so as to give an excessive gas-pressure beyond the air-pres sure at the points of delivery to the burner, the pair of diaphragins 702, subject to the gaspressure from the acetylene-generator, will move the cross-head 700707 toward the left with respect to Fig. 4, thereby moving the feedshaft 7L14 inward to cut off or decrease the feed of the carbid. As quickly as the pressures have been equalized at the burner the airdaphragms 70', subject to the air-pressure, will return the cross-head 701170T to its midway or balanced position, thereby1 through the shipper-lever 7010 throwing the feed-shaft 7t11 outward to afford the normal feed of carbid. The acetyiene-generator is provided with a suitable safety-valve z.

'lhe parts of the apparat-us illustrat ed have now been specified, and the action of the different groups of parts is probably clear from the detailed description. It may be of serv- IIO ice,d however, to give a brief summary of the pressures of the air and gas at the point of degeneral operation of the apparatus as an entirety.

With'the apparatus as illustrated it is as sumed that the throttle-valve c5 for the engine will be under the constant charge of an attendant, in the same way as an ordinary locomotive, for adapting the elastic-fluid supply to the load on the engine. To start the apparatus into action, the acetylene-generator may be started in the ordinary or any suitable way to afford the gas-supply. The airpressure for starting may be secured either by manipulating the engine by hand or by the use of a hand-pump in the same way as many gas-engines- The air and gas at the burner having been ignited with the use of the plumbers blowpipe-lamp, the operation will then be continuous as soon as the engine is started into action by opening the throttle c5 in the engine-supply pipe. The engine then of course operates the compressor, and the latter affords the continuous supply of air to the air-cylinder and through the same to the burner and through the crosspipe 7"12 to the water in the water-cylinder. The acetylene-generator supplies the gas, and under the action of the diaphragm-controller the generation of the acetylene gas is so regulated that the gas and the air are delivered to the burner at equal pressures. Assuming the delivery pipes and nozzles for the air and gas to have been properly proportioned, it follows that the air and gas will be delivered to the burner in the proper relative volume for complete combustion. For example, when using acetylene gas the air should he at least fourteen times as much in volume as the gas. The air-pressures on the water and the injector action from the commingled air and gas under pressure on the water-delivery nozzle insure the feed of the water to the combustion-chamber c, as hitherto noted.

Of course it will be understood that many changes might be made in the details of the construction disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention. It will be further understood that the parts when .the apparatus is put into use should be properly proportioned for coperation to the ends desired. No attempt has been made to give the exact mathematical proportions in the accompanying drawings, as those are matters within the skill of the engineering craft. It will be further understood that in practice an automatic governor would preferably be provided for the engine.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isas follows:

1. The combination with a comminglingchamber, of supply devices for delivering air and gas, under pressure, to said comminglingchamber, and a controller subject to said air and gas pressure for movement in opposite directions, and provided with connections for varying the supply of one of said elements with respect to the other, for equalizing the l livery to said commingling-chamber, substantially as described. A

2. The combination with a comminglingchamber, of an air-supply device and a gasgenerator for delivering air and gas, under pressure, to said commingling-chamber, and a controller subject to the air-pressure for movement in one direction and to the pressure of gas from said generator for movement in the other direction, and connections operative by said controller for varying the quantity of gas generated, whereby the pressures of the air and gas will be automatically equalized at the point of delivery to said commi nglin g-chamber,substantially as described.

3. The combination with a closed combustion-chamber, of a burner adapted to burn a liquid fuel in said chamber, such as commingled air and gas, independent air and gas supply devices for delivering air and gas, under pressure, to the commingling-chamber of said burner, and a controller subject to said air and gas pressure, for movement in opposite directions, to vary the supply of yone of said elements (air or gas) in respect to the other, for equalizing the pressures of air and gas, at the point of delivery to the commingling-chamber of the burner, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a comminglingchamber, of supply devices having delivery tips or nozzles, tapping said comminglingchamber of the proper areas for the desired relative proportions of air and gas, and a controller subject to said air and gas pressures, for movement in opposite directions, to equalize the pressures at the points of delivery to the delivery-chamber, and thereby maintain the proper proportions of the elements to be commingled, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an engine, of a closed combustion-chamber wherein the elastic fluids are generated to supply the engine, a burner adapted to burn liquid fuel, such as commingled air and gas, an air-compressor operative by said engine and affording a suplply of air, under pressure, to said burner, a

gas-generator aiording a supply of gas, under pressure, to said burner, and a controller subject to the air-pressure on one side and to the gas-pressure on the other, and provided with. connections for varying the generation of gas, whereby the air and gas willbe delivered to the commingling chamber of the burner at equalized pressures and in the proper proportions, and the apparatus will nun under a continuous process, when the engine is in action, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the burner and devices for supplying air, under pressure, thereto, of the gas-generator adapted to generate a gas by the chemical reaction between solid and liquid gas-producing substances, such as calcium carbid and water, a controller subject to said air-pressure on one side and subject to the gas-pressure from said IOO IIO

gas-generator on the other side, and a feed device operated by said controller for bringing said solid and liquid elements into contact with each other in the gasgenerator, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. y

7. The combination with an engine, of a closed combustion-chamber, wherein the elastic iiuids are generated to supply said engine, a burner adapted to burn a liquid fuel in said combustion-chamber, such as air and gas, under pressure, an air-compressor driven from said engine, for supplying air to said burner, an acetylene-gas generator, for supplying gas to said burner, a feed device in said generator operated from said engineshaft to afford a continuous, uniform feed as set, a controller subject to said air-pressure on one side and to said gas-pressure on the other side, and connections from said controller to said feed device of said gas-generator, operative to variably set the saine to vary the quantity of feed or stop the feed, as may be required to equalize the air and gas pressures at the burner, substantially as dez 5 scribed.

8. The combination with the engine, the closed combustion-chamber, the liquid-fuel burner, the engine, the compressor driven from the engine and supplying air to the 3o burner, and the gas-generator supplying gas to the burner, of the controller for equalizing air and gas pressures at the burner, which controller is in the form of a diaphragm subject on one side to the air-pressure and on 35

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