US720818A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

' PATENTED PEB. 17, 1903.

M. E. KNIGHT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

PPLITIN FILED JUNE 1B, 1902.

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N'o. 720,818. PATBNTBD PEB.17, 1903. M. E. KNIGHT.

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-APPLIUATION FILED .mlm 1e. 1902.

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uw@le No. 720,818. PATBNTED PEB. 17, 1903.

M. E. KNIGHT.

I RUTARY ENGINE.

.LPPLIUATION IILHI)V JUNE 16', 1902.

No MODEL.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE-1B, 1902.

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M. E. KNIGHT.

ROTARY BNG-INE; APPLIGATON FILED JUNE 16, 1902.

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UNITED STATES f PATENT OFFICE.

MARGARET E. KNIGHT, 0F SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,818, dated February l?, 1903.

Application Bled June 18, 1902. Serial No. 111,831. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARGARET E. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at South Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rotary engines; and it consists chiefly in the novel construction of the pistons of the engines, and, further, in the construction of the steam-chest and the operation of the valve, all of which Will be understood from the detailed description hereinafter contained and specilied in the claims when taken in counection With the drawings, which form a part of the specification, and'wherein- Figure lis a central'longitudinal section through the entire engine. Fig.r2 is a vertical cross-section on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on .line et 4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on line 5 5, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a vertical crosssection on line 6 6, Fig. l. All of the crosssections, Figs. 2 to 6, are viewed from the left of Fig. l. Figs. 7 to 13 are diagrammatic views showing the pistons in lseven dierent positions during one revolution of the shaft. The steam-chambers about the pistons are somewhat exaggerated.

Referring to the drawings, Adesignates the engine-casting, which may be encompassed by au outer casing A' With some non-conductor of heat A2 in the intervening spaces. The head and end portions of the engine and the middle portion, which contains the steamchambers and pistons, are secured together by bolt-rods B and nuts B.

In the drawings three sliding pistons are shown; but more than three, or even tWo such pistons, may be employed, the requisite being that the steam-ports shall be so arranged that in Whichever direction the engine is running the pressure of live steam, Whether upon one or more pistons, shall tend to move the crankrod in the same direction.

As illustrated, the middle portion of the engine casting, which contains the steamchambers and pistons, is constructed with three Wing-chambers c c c to accommodate the three sliding plate-pistons orsteam-ahutments d d d, which severally have a hinged or pivotal connection at their inner ends with the eccentric crank-rode2 between the two end portions E E of the main shaft. (See Figs. l and 6.) At about midway of the depth of the Wing-chambers o semicylindrical grooves c' are formed upon opposite sides thereof throughout the length of each, and in` these grooves cylindrical segments c2 are placed, which support the outer ends of the pistons d and serve as bearings through which the pistons slide and tilt in the operation of the engine. Y

The construction by which the pistons or ahutments dare hinged to the crank-rod e2 Y consists of projecting cylindrical sections ca c4 upon either side of the inner ends of each piston. The curve of one of these sections ca has the same radius as the periphery of the crank-rod e2 and lits itaccurately, and the curve of the opposite section c4 has a radius equal to that of the crank-rod plus the thickness of the projecting section e3, which lits the periphery of the crank-rod, so that when the several pistons are assembled in proper position about the crank-rod e2 the projecting cylindrical section of each piston which has the curve of longer radius overlaps and bears upon the cylindrical section which has the curve of shorter radius upon an adjoining piston, and by this overlapping and interlocking of alternate portions of the projecting sections the several pistons are held in contact with the crank-rod e2. In order to easily accomplish this interlocking of the several pistons, one'of them-for instance,the upper or perpendicular one, as shown in Fig. G-is made in two parts d d', and al'ter all the pistons are' assembled these two parts are bolted together, thereby locking them all together and about the crank-rod.

Steam is supplied and conducted to the steam-chambers of the engine in the manner and by the means as follows: Steam from the boiler enters through the pipe F into the chamber G, Fig. 5, which is at the right-hand end of the engine, as illustrated in Fig. l, and extends across the end of the enginecasting. Within a cylindrical seat H, Whichn is provided with diametrically opposite longitudinal ports 7L' h', is a cylindrical tube- IOO ' engine.

valve I, provided with diametrically opposite ports t" t', which are in the same vertical plane with the chamber G and intermittently open into that chamber through ports h h', and two other diainetrically opposite ports 112 2,1which are in the same vertical plane with another steam-chamber K and intermittently open thereto through the ports h h'. The diametrical planes of the two pairs of ports i' i2 are at right angles to each other. The chamber K is connected with two steampassages L, which extend substantially across the length of the engine upon each side, near the lower part thereof, and connect with another steam-chamber M at the left-hand end of the engine. A portion of this chamber M is open to the end E of the shaft, and from this chamber steam is supplied to the engine or exhausted from it through a port m' in that shaft. Whether the chamber serves as a supply or exhaust chamber depends upon the direction or rotation of the engine. At the end of the engine opposite to the chamber M is a similarchamberN, a portion of which is open to the end E of the shaft, and through a port n' in this end steam is supplied to or exhausted from the engine; also, by branches from the chamber N it may be connected with the steam-supply chamber K or with the exhaust-chamber O near the bottom of the (See Figs. l, 3, and 4.) The ports m and n are made somewhat smaller at the ends next to the steam-chamber c, as shown in dotted lines, to regulate the iiow of steam to those chambers.

The Valve I has a pinion P upon its outer end which meshes With a gear P' upon the shaft E. These gears are so proportioned that one rotation of the gear P causes the gear P to rotate three times. Beyond the inner end of the valve I is a chamber 3, within which is a movable partition in the-form of a piston or plunger t4, which closel7 fits that chamber. Projecting from the end of the plunger t4 toward the valve I is a smaller plunger 1"", which accurately fits the interior of the valve I, and the length of the plunger 725 is sufficient to cover and close the ports 112 when that plunger is entered its full length and may be employed to stop the engine. The piston @"1 may be operated by means of a rod t6, attached thereto and which extends through a stuffing-box to the outside of the engine. This rod may be provided with a series of holes t7, so that the piston t4 may be secured in a number of different positions by means of a pin inserted through a hole in the end of the stuffing-box gland and into one of the holes in the rod 6.

By means of a slide-valve Q in the lower part of the engine, which may be operated by a rod q, extending without the casing, the direction of the How of live steam to the piston-chambers and the exhaust therefrom may be reversed.

Oil-reservoirs R are provided at the top of the engine-casting, from which the lubricant is conducted to the interior of the engine by small passages fr. Also lubricant is supplied to the Wings of the steam-chambers o through .small pipes r2, Figs. 2 and 6.

The driving-wheels S on the ends of the engineshaft may be eccentrically weighted sufficiently to counterbalance the crank-rod e2 and the pistons d, which are secured thereto.

When operating the engine, steam from the boiler is admitted through the pipe F to the chamber G, and by turning the engine until the ports t" of the valve I coincide with the ports h of the valve-seat I-I steam will be admitted to the chamber t3. By a further turn of the engine sufiicient to give the Valve I a quarter-turn the ports t" will be closed and the ports i2 thereof will be brought opposite to the ports h', and steam will issue from the chamber i3 to the chamber K. From thence it will pass to the passages L along the bottom of the engine to the chamber M and thence through the port m in the. shaft E to the steam-chambers cin succession, as that shaft is rotated by the action of the steam-pressure upon the pistons d. From the chambers c the steam is exhausted through the port n in the shaftE into the chamberNand from there to the chamber O and thence up through the space between the engine-casting A and the outer casing A and out into the atmosphere through ports o 0. (Sec Fig. 6.) This is the course of the steam when the slide-valve Q is in the position shown in full-line section, Fig. l, and the engine will turn from left to right, as illustrated inFig. 6. In order to reverse the rotation of the engine, the valve Q is pulled to the left by means ofy the rod q to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then when the valve I is in the position shown therein steam will pass from the chamber t3 through the ports t2 to the chamber K, thence through the chamber N and port n in the shaft E to the steam-chambers c, and be exhausted through the port m', chamber M, and passage O to the outlet-ports o. The position of the piston 4 in the chamber t3 determines the size of the portion of that chainber which receives steam at boiler-pressure through the ports 'i' at each half-turn of the IOO IOS

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valve I, and hence the volume of steam adn mitted through the ports 2 tothe chamber K and thence to the piston-chambers of the engine at each half-turn of the valve I. -It will be understood that the eduction of steam from the chamber 'i3 through the ports t2 alternates with the induction of steam to the chamber i3 through the ports t.

The steam-chambers c, each of which is comprised between the sides of two plates d and the walls of the engine-casting A, are continually enlarging andl then contracting in the operation of the engine, and for the purpose of illustrating the operation reference may be made to the diagrams, Figs. 7 to 13, wherein it may be assumed that the parts are viewed from a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 6, that the port fm is the inlet for live steam, and that the crank-rod e2 is revolving around the axis of the shaft E from right to left, as indicated by the arrows.

Starting with Fig. 7, live steam is entering at m and expanding in the chamber le, thus pressing the plate l(i to the lett. At this time the port n' at the opposite end of the engine-shaft is open to the chamber 2C and exhausting steam therefrom. Immediately after the crank-rod e2 has passed the point where the steam-chambers 1c and 2c are equal on the two sides of plate 1d the port at the opposite end of the engine begins to pass the plate 2d and open to the chamber 3 and exhaust steam therefrom. When the port fm has reached the position shown in Fig. 8, steam has been entirely exhausted from chamber 2c, and that chamber is practically closed. As soon as the crank-rod e2 moves downward from the position shown in Fig. 8 the chamber 2e begins to open again, and a portion of the port m at the same time having passed the plate ld admits steam to the chamber 2, and the plate 2l,with the crank-rod e2, is forced downward. The port at the opposite end of the engine meantime exhausts the steam from the chamber 3c, and so it proceeds. The steam continually expandingin the chambers and pressing against they plates causes the crank-rod e2 to revolve around the axis of the shaft, and thus rotate it. In positions of the crank intermediate of thoseshown in Figs. 8 and 9, l0 and l1, 12 and '7 the port m' is open to two of the chambers c, as illustrated: in Fig. 13, which is a position intermediate.

oi' those in Figs. 12 and 7. In this instance the steam is acting upon plates ld and 3d to push the crank-rod e2 around to the left.

The great advantage of thisimproved con-. struction over those heretofore employed is.

the minimum amount of `wearing-surfaces.

There is no grinding between the ends of the a plurality of radiating steam-abutments .hinged at one edge upon a crank-rod which ivolve by the pressure of steam upon-the sides of the abutments successively, as described.

2. In a` rotary engine, the combination of a plurality of radiating plate-abutment-s, one end of each of which is hinged upon a crankrod which connects two portions of the driving-shaft, radial chambers into which the opposite ends ofthe plates respectively project, and a longitudinal steam-port in the shaft portion at each end of the,engine,lwhich two ports4 are respectively located upon opposite sides of a plane which passes through the axes of the shaft and the crank-rod.

3. In a rotary engine, a plurality of radiating plate-abutments, the inner end of each of which is provided with a projecting cylindrical section upon each side and with the curve of the section upon the corresponding side of each piston constructed to overlap and t the exterior curved surface of the opposite cylindrical section of the next adjoining piston, for the purpose described.

4. In a rotary engine, a crank-rod between two portions of the driving-shaft, aplurality of radiating plate-abutments, each provided at its inner end with a projecting cylindrical section upon one side which lits upon the crank-rod, and upon the other side a projecting cylindrical section, each of Vwhich overlaps the first-mentioned section of an adjoining piston, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, a cylindrical rotary` valve open to the steam-chest, ports in the cylindrical valve located at different positions of its length and in diametrical planes at right angles to each other, which differently-located- MARGARET n. KNIGHT..

Witnesses:

R. L. ROBERTS, A. L. ROBINSON.

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