US747316A - Hot-air engine or power-generator. - Google Patents

Description

No. 747,316. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

F. BURGER. HOT AIR ENGINE 0R POWER GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.16. 1901.

up MODEL.

SHEETS-SHEET 1. Q 0

' No. 747,316. PATENTEDHDEC. 15 1903.

P. BURGER. HOT AIR ENGINE OR POWER GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 15. 1901. N0 MODEL.

THE NORRIS PETERS co, PnoToLn'HQ. WASHINGTON, n c.

Witneaoco No. 747,316. I PATENTED DEO.'15,.1903.-'

P. BURGER, H01 AIR ENGINE 0R POWER GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15. 1901; no xonm s sums-sun a.

m: "cams PETERS co PNmo-umo. WASNINGYON4 D c UNITED STATES Patented December 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ BURGER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OFTHREE-FOURTHS TO HENRY M. WILLIAMS, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

IHOT-AIUR ENGINE OR POWER- o EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 747,316, dated December 15, 1903.

' Application filed February 15 1901. Serial No. 47,474- (No model.)

To all'whom 7125 may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANZ BURGER,a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hot-Air Engines or Power-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to high-pressure hotair engines or'power-generators; and it has for its object to improve this class of engines or power-generators; and to these ends myinvention consists in the various features of construction'and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a horizon- 2o tal sectional plan of the engine and generator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of the engine and generator. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the generator, showing more particularly the regulating-ring and connections. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the generator, showing the regulating-ring and mechanism for operating the 7 same. Figs. 5 and 6 are part cross-sections of Figs. 3 and 4, showing the regulating-ring in difiereut positions; and Fig. 7 is a side view, partly in section, showing the eccentric and connections for operating the inlet-valve. Among the principal objects of my present invention one is to provide a hot-air engine or power-generator of this particular class in which the air can be used at a relatively high temperature and pressure and higher than has been practicable up to the present time. Another object is to avoid the loss of power resulting from the ordinary methods of utilizing the heat energy of fuel in hot-air engines and, further, to provide a power-generator which is capable of containing a large amount of fuel at one time, so that the en- 5 gine is enabled to run continuously for a relativelylong period of time without the necessityof being recharged or furnished with a fresh supply of fuel. These objects thus generally stated, and others which will appear from the description hereinafter, are attained by the use of an improved generator or engine embodying the general features of construction and having the general mode ofoperation substantially as hereinafter described.

Upon a suitable base'A are mounted two cylinders, one being the power-cylinder B and the other the air-compressing cylinder 0. The power-cylinder B is provided with a working piston. D, to which is attached the connecting-rod E, mounted on the crank-shaft F, which is arranged and supported in the pillow-blocks G, connected with the base A, and this crank-shaft is connected to or provided with suitable means for supplying power, as a fly-wheel or belt wheel or pulley. Connected with the crank-shaft and driven thereby is some suitable means of operating the piston K of the air-compressing cylinder O, and in the present instance Ihaye shown a connecting-rod J, attached to the piston K 7c and to a disk crank H on the crank-shaft. The crank-pin H of this disk crankis. preferably arranged in such relation that it is about ninety degrees behind the'power crankpin F, although the exact relation of these two cranks is not material to my invention.

It is of course desirable in an engine of this character to keep the cylinders cool, and the cylinders B and C in the present instance are surrounded by water-jackets L L, L being common to both cylinders, and these jackets may be supplied with water or other liquid in any of the ordinary ways well understood bythose skilled in the art and not shown herein.

The power-cylinder B is in the present instance provided with an extension M, which extends beyond the working point of the piston D and is larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the power-cylinder. This extension is provided with some heat resisting and retaining material, and in the present instance it is fitted with a lining or bushing N, of plumbago. The piston .D'is also provided with an extension in the form of a piston O, working within the lining or bushing in the extension M of the power-cylinder, and this extended piston is also made of some'h'eat resisting and retaining material,as plumbago, and it is attached so as to move with the pis- I00 ton D, and it may be attached in any suitable manner, as by the rod or bolt O'.- The outer end of the extension M is also preferably provided with a similar lining or bushing, as the plumbago ring Q, which ring has a central opening R, corresponding with the inlet-opening in the cylinder-head P.

Connected to the cylinder-head P is a valvecasing S for the admission-valve T, and connected to the.casing S is a supply-pipe U, which may be provided with a suitable cutoff valve V and which is connected to the generator W.

The air-compressing cylinder 0 of the airpump may be variously constructed; but, as shown, it is provided with a head X, to which is attached a valve-casing 1, having in this instance a partition 2, and in one part of the casing is placed a suction-valve 3, connected with the air-inlet portion of the valve, and in the other a pressure-valve 4, through which the compressed air from the cylinder 0 passes and thence flows through the pipe 5 to the generator W.

The generator W may .be variously constructed; but, as before intimated, in order to attain the objects of myinvention itis desirable to provide a generator which is capable of holding a large amount of fuel and which shall utilize the heat to the best advantage and which shall be practically self-regulating or automatic in its operation, and in the present instance I have shown the generator as composed of two shells, one within the other and with an annular space between them, the ends of the cylinders being closed by suitable heads. Thus in the present instance there is an annular space 6 between the inner shell 7 and the outer shell 7, and this space is divided about midway of the generator, the outer shell 7 being enlarged, so as to form an annular space, and this may be accomplished by means of an annular casing 9, as shown. Mounted in this enlarged casing and extending from the inner casing to the outer is a ring 8, having in its face a number of perforations, as 14, and the inner shell 7* is also provided with a number of perforations, as 13, above the plane of the perforated ring 8. Some suitable means is provided for controlling these perforations and the passage of air therethrough, and in the present instance I have shown an angle-shaped ring 10, provided with a number of perforations 11, which may register with the perforations 13 in the inner shell 7, and is also provided with a number of perforations 12, which may register with the perforations 14 in the stationary partition or perforated ring 8. The number of perforations 14in the partition-ring 8 is in the present instance double the number of those in the movable ring 10, the purpose of which will appear later.

The inner shell 7 of the generator is preferably protected from being burned or injured by the high temperatures produced therein, and in the present instance I have shown it as provided with a lining 7 of firebrick or similar refractory material, and I preferably extend this lining throughout the inner body and top portions of the inner shell of the generator. Mounted in the generator is a suitable grate 15, and below this in the shell are the perforations 16, communicating with the inner space 6 between the two shells, and connected with the ash-pit below the grate is an ash-door 17, which while it may be of any suitable construction is held air-tight against the generatorin the present instance by a screw 18in the stirrup 19. The top of the generator is provided with a charging-door, as 22, and this is held by a stirrup 20 and screw 21.

The ring 10 acts as a regulator or controller for the compressed air in the space 6, and the admission of this air into the generator is controlled by this ring, and it may be admitted above the fuel in the generator or below it, or both, and the ring 10 may be operated by hand or other suitable means; but I preferably provide automatic means for accomplishing this result. In the present instance I have shown a portion of the edge of the ring formed into a rack 23, with which engages a pinion 24, mounted on a shaft 25, supported in a bearing or bushing 26 and having on its outer end a pinion 27, which meshes with a rack 28, connected in the present instance at its lower end to the piston 29, working in a cylinder 30. The upper end of the cylinder 30 is closed, as by a screw-cap 31, and inside of the cylinder between the upper portion of the piston and cap is placed a spring, (shown as a spiral spring 32,) which tends to force the piston down in the cylinder. The lower portion of the cylinder in the present instance is fastened to a bracket 33, which becomes a cylinder-head and into which enters a pipe 34, the other end of which is connected with the annular space 6 above the regulating-ring. It will thus be seen that the position of the piston 29 is automatically controlled by the pressure of the air in the air-space 6, and the piston is moved up under such pressure and against the pressure of the spring 32, so that the ring or regulating device is automatically controlled thereby.

The air-inlet valve of the power-cylinder B may be variously controlled; but I have shown a forked lever 35, located within the valve-casing S, which is connected with a lever 36 outside the valve-casing, and this lever in the present instance is connected, by means of a ball-and-socket joint 37, with an eccentric-rod 38. To operate this rod, there is an eccentric 39 mounted on the crankshaft F, and embracing the eccentric 39 is a strap 40, having a tailpiece provided with a cylindrical horizontal boring 41, in which is mounted a spring 42 and which receives the collar 43 of the rod 38, and the boring is closed by a cap 44, havingacentral opening, through which the rod 38 passes. The eccentric is provided With an extending arm 45, which in the present instance is pivoted to one of thespokes of the fly-wheel46, mounted on the shaft F, adjacent to the eccentric. The eccentric is also provided with an elongated boring 47, through which the crankshaft passes and which allows the changing of the stroke of the eccentric, and this is accomplished by a lever 49, having a fulcrum on one of the spokes of the wheel 46, one end of which lever is provided with a link 50, attached to a lug 51, on the side of the eccentric 39, while the other end of the lever is provided with an adjustable weight 4S, and the lever is also under the tension of a spring 52, tending to counteract the centrifugal force of the weight on the lever. It is evident that as the crank-shaft revolves, and with it the fly-wheel, the governing-weight 48 will tend to fly outward by centrifugalforc'e, and this is counteracted by the spring 52, and between these two forces the lever 49 is controlled and movesthe eccentric so as to bring the crankshaft F in different positionsor relations to the bearing-surfaces of the boring 47.

The power-cylinder is provided with an exhaust-valve of any suitable character, and in the present instance such valve 53 is shown as controlled by a crank 54, worked by a rod 55, hearing on a cam-roller 56 on a cam on the hub of the disk crank H.

Such being thegeneral construction and arrangement of the parts, the operation of the engine will be largelyunderstood from what has been stated heretofore.

In order to start the engine, the upper door 22 of the generator is opened and fuel is introduced into the interior of the generator, and when the combustion of this fuel has been started more fuel is introduced until the combustibles reach nearly to the central perforations 13, and the door 22 istightly closed. Air is now let into the annular space 6 between the two shells of the generator, and in the case of a large engine this air may be introduced from a reservoir containing air under pressure; but in small engines a few revolutions of the flywheel will be sufficient to furnish the required amount of air under pressure to start the engine. Normally the regulating-ring will be in a position to permit the passage of the air through the openings 12, so that it passes down under the grate, entering the ash-chamber through the perforations 16, and passes up through the fuel and is heated. This of course causes an increased combustion and heats the air to a relatively high temperature, and it passes out of the generator W through the pipeU to the valve-casing S, and from there its passage into the powercylinder B is controlled by the valve T, and it imparts motion'to the piston D and thence passes through the connection with the crankshaft F, and this in turn operates the piston K of the air-compressing cylinder or pump 0,

, which maintains the supply of air in the generator.

As the pressure of the air in the gen- .bles. "will operate to cut off the flow of all theair which operates the piston 29 and through its lconnections moves the regulatingring'10 so that the perforations 11 correspond to a greater or less extent with the perforations 13 in the generator, and the perforations 12 correspond to a greateror less extent with the perforations 14, and part of the air passes :through the perforations 16 into the ashchamber through the cornbustibles and partpasses into the generator above the combusti- A further adjustment of the ring 10 below the grate and cause all the air to pass the air through the combustibles or part ithrough the combustibles and part above them or all of the air above the com bustibles, and in the present instance this regulation depends upon the pressure of the air in the generator.

The valve T is operated by .what may be termed the shaft-governor, comprising the eccentric 39 and its connections, and according to the speed of --rotation of the fly-wheel will the valve T be operated, so as to be open for a shorter or longer time and admit more orless of the compressed air into the cylin der B.

It will be seen that by the construction described when the valve T has seated to close the same the eccentric has not yet completed its stroke and that the collar 43 on the rod 38 will compress the spring 42 during the time the eccentric completes its stroke in one direction. When going out, the collar comes in contact with the cap 44, and thus the rod 38 is moved to open the valve. The time during which the valve is open depends,of course, upon the position of the eccentric with relation to the shaft F, and this is determined by the governor device described in a manner well understood.

With the construction above described I am enabled to operate the engine under a high temperature, and as an instance I may mention from 1,500 to 2,000 Fahrenheit, although, of course, the temperature in the power-cylinder will fall more or less from the temperature of the air in the generator. By constructing the power-cylinder B with an extension M and providing it with a bushing or heat resisting and retaining material air at a relatively high temperature can be used, and at the same time the cylinder can be maintained at a desirable temperature and comparatively little heat will reach the piston proper of the power-cylinder. Furthermore, as above intimated, it is desirable to provide a generator of a size that will receive a considerable amount of combustible material which will last quite a number of hours, so thatthe generator need not be opened to replenish the material for a considerable time,

and the arrangement shown meets this requirement. It is also evident that the forcing of the air through the fuel or combustible will result in some ashes or products of combustion being mixed with the compressed air; but I have found it unnecessary to attempt to separate the ashes and permit them to flow into the cylinder. They can be blown out through the exhaust-valve with the exhaustair without serious detriment to the operation of the engine.

What I claim is 1. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator, comprising an inner and an outer shell having an annular space between them to receive the air to be heated and communicating with the interior of the inner shell through openings in two different planes, a perforated partition in the annular space between the planes of said openings, and means for controlling the flow of air through the perforations in said partition and the openings in the plane above it, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator, comprising an inner and an outer shell having an annular space between them to receive the air to be heated and communicating with the interior of the inner shell through openings in two diiferent planes, a perforated partition in the annular space between the planes of said openings, and means automatically operated by pressure of air in said annular space for controlling the flow of air through the perforations in said partition and the openings in the plane above it, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator comprising an inner and an outer shell havand a valve seated on said ring controlling the flow of air from the space between the shells into the inner shell, substantially as described.

4. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator comprising an inner and an outer shell having an annular space between them to receive the air to be heated,-a perforated ring dividing the space between the shells, perforations in the inner shell below and above the fuel-space therein, a valve having openings controlling the perforations in the ring and in the inner shell, and means for automatically operating the valve, substantially as described.

5. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator comprising an inner and an outer shell having an annular space between them to receive the air to be heated, a perforated ring dividing the space between the shells, an angleshaped ring controlling the perforations through the ring and in the inner shell, a rack and pinion connected to operate the angleshaped ring, and a cylinder and piston for operating the rack and pinion and connected to be operated by the variations of pressure in the inner shell, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. CRANE, GEO. K. TORRENCE.

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