US833631A

US833631A - Steam-engine.

Info

Publication number: US833631A
Application number: US25579205A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles Edgar Rhodes; James Alfred Ross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1905-04-15
Filing date: 1905-04-15
Publication date: 1906-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1923-10-16

Description

l Nuo. '833,631. PATENTED OCT. 16,' 1906.

G. B'RHODES & J. A. ROSS.

-sTEAM ENGINE. AEPLIOATION FILED APE.15,1E05.

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No. 833,6s1f

PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

C. E. RHODES & J. A. ROSS.

STEAM ENGINE. v APPLICATION ULEB APB,.1`5,19o5.

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CHARLES EDGAR RHODES AND JAMES ALFRED ROSS, OF ALTOONA,

` PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 16, 1906.

Application iiled April 15, 1905. Serial No. 255,792.

To a/ZZ whom it may G01/wwwa Be it known that we, CHARLES EDGAR RHODES and JAMES ALFRED Ross, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in steam-engines of that type wherein the eX- pansive force of the steam is utilized to reciprocate the cylinder and piston in opposite directions.

The main object of the invention is the production of a steam-engine having a movable cylinder and piston both operatively connected to the power-shaft, whereby the maximum expansive force of the steam is -transmitted to the power-shaft.

Another object of the invention is the production of means for automatically controlling the valve Within the steam-chest, whereby said valve may be regulated in movement in accordance with the movement of the cylinder and piston.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved engine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the cylinder, valve-chest, and steamchest, the piston and piston-rod being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the steam-chest and exhaust-chamber. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of one of the cylinder-cranks, illustrating particularly the weight therefor. y

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, 1 represents the enginebed of suitable size and shape, and 2 a cylinder base suitably fixed to the bed and formed with a longitudinally-arranged track 3.

4 represents a guide-plate supported above the cylinder-base 2 by standards 5., The guide-plate is formed with a longitudinal trackway 6, arranged in vertical alinement With the track 3 in the cylinder-base.

7 represents the cylinder provided on its upper and lower sides with shoes 8, arranged to travel, respectively, in the trackways 3 and 6, whereby to guide the cylinder in its reciprocatory movement. 9 represents the piston mounted for reciprocation Within the cylinder, to which isterminally connected piston-rod 10, which projects through one of the cylinder-heads 11 and through a stuffingboX 12 secured to said head. The forward end of the piston-.rod is connected to a crosshead 12, supported in suitable guideways 13,

4rising from the engine-bed.

14-represents the power-shaft mounted in suitable bearing-blocks 15, Xed to the engine-bed and having the usual iiy-wheels 16. Intermediate the fly-Wheels the power-shaft is provided with cranks 17, formed in the shaft adjacent each ily-wheel, and a central reversely-projected crank 18. Connectingrods 19 are secured at one end to the cylinder and the opposite end to the cranks 17 of the power-shaft, while the crank 18 is connected with the cross-head 12 through'the medium of a rod 20. As a counterbalance for the crank 17 the arms thereof are projected beyond the plane of the power-shaft, as at 21, and each of the arms is providedwith aweight 22, practically of the shape illustrated in Fig. 5. If preferred, these weights may be removably secured in place to provide for adjustment or change.

23 represents the valve-chest secured, as usual, externally of the cylinder and formed with ports 24 and 25, arranged to communicate with channels 26 and 27, formed in the cylinder-wall and terminally in communication with the interior of the cylinder at opposite ends thereof. An exhaust-port 28 is formed in the wall of the valve-chest intermediate the ports 24 and 25.

29 represents-the valve, which may be of any desired type, having a channel of a size to include one of the ports 24 or 25 and the exhaust-port in the eXtreme movement of the valve. The valve is connected to a valve-rod 31, projecting forward through the head of the valve-chest and a suitable stuffing-box 32 and terminally connected to one end of a rocker-arm 33, pivotally secured at 34A on the cylinder. The' other end of the IOO sis

rocker-arm is connected to a rod 35, projected toward the crank-shaft eccentrically connected to a gear 36, supported in bearings 37, with its shaft practically in horizontal alinement with the power-shaft. A gear 38 is loosely mounted on the power-shaft and arranged to intermesh with the gear 36, whereby power is transmitted to the valvegear 36.

39 represents the governor, preferably comprising an arcuate arm concentric with the power-shaft and pivotally connected at one terminal, as at 40, to one of the spokes of the power-wheel, the opposite end of the governor-arm being provided with an adjustable weight 41. Arms 42 connect the governorarm on opposite sides of its pivotal support with the power-gear 38, whereby saidlatter gear is driven in the revolution of the powerwheel, and thereby transmits power to the valve-gear. A spring 43, terminally connected to the governor arm and to the power-wheel, serves to maintain the governor-arm under tension in the revolution of the power-wheel.

44 represents the steam-chest supplied through a suitable pipe 45, and 46 represents an exhaust-chamber arranged immediately below the steam-chest, being preferably supported upon a suitable bed 47. An exhaust-pipe 48 discharges from the exhaustchamber 46. By preference the steam-chest and exhaust-chamber are formed of a single casing, separated from one another by a longitudinal partition, for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

' As the cylinder and valve-chest have a longitudinal movement, the steam connection between the chest and cylinder must be adapted to permit such movement, similar provision being made for the exhaust-pipe from the valve-chest. To accommodate this movement, we arrange the steam-supply pipe 49 in open communication with the valvechest at one end and closed at the opposite end. The steam-pipe passes longitudinally through the steam-chest, extending through stuffing-boxes 50, secured on the heads of said chest, with its closed end projecting beyond the chest. Within the steam-chest the supply-pipe is provided with a circumferential row ofaperforations 51, whereby steam is admitted to the supply-pipe, it being understood that the perforations are so arranged in the supply-pipe that they are at all times within the steam-chest during the movement of the pipe. The exhaust-pipe 52, terminally in open communication with the exhaust-port 28, is closed at the opposite end and slidably mounted with relation to the exhaust-chamber 46, the pipe preferably passing through the stuffing-boxes 53, secured on the-heads of said exhaust-chamber. The exhaust-pipe within the exhaust-chamber is formed with a circumferential row of perforations 54 to establish communication with said chamber.

Vith the parts constructed and arranged' as descri-bed the operation of our improved engine is as follows: Steam being admitted to the steam-chest passes through the perforations 51 in the steam-pipe 49 and to the valve-chest, being admitted to the steam-cylinder through either port 24 or 25, in accordance with the position of the valve. The expansive force of the steam within the cylinder operates to force the piston and cylinder in reverse direction transmitting motion to the power-shaft through the cranks 17 and 18, as will be evident. In this movement of the power-shaft the power-gear 38 is revolved, and thereby driving the valve-gear 36 to suitably lead the valve 29. An excess of movement of the power-shaft will tend to project the weighted end`of the governorarm tangentially from the power-shaft, thus giving an added movement to the power-gear 3S through the connections 42, and thereby increasing the lead of the valve to cut 0H the steam-supply at an earlier period of operation. The valve-gear 36 may be so arranged with relation to the power-gear as to give the valve the exact lead required under any particular circumstances, this result being gained by a manual movement of the valvegear previous to intermeshing it with the 4power-gear. The cylinder is guided in its reciprocatory movement by the shoes 8, traveling in the trackways 3 and 6, whereby an even movement of the cylinder is maintained with the minimum degree of friction. The exhaust-steam within the exhaust-chamber tends to maintain the steam-chest under a comparatively uniform degree of heat, being suflicient to reduce to a minimum the condensation within said chest.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A steam-engine comprising a cylinder mounted for reciprocating movement, a piston movable within the cylinder, a `powershaft formed with reversely-disposed cranks, connecting-rods intermediate said cranks and the cylinder and piston, a steam-chest, an exhaust-chamber arranged in contact with the steam-chest, an exhaust-pipe leading from the cylinder and slidably mounted within the exhaust-chamber, and a steampipe connected with the cylinder and longitudinally movable through the steam-chest, each of said pipes projecting beyond their respective supports and being closed at their free ends.

2. A steam-engine comprising a cylinder mounted for reciprocating movement, a piston movable within the cylinder, a steamchest, an exhaust-chamber arranged to heat said steam-chest by radiation, a steam-pipe in communication with the cylinder, an exhaust-pipe leading from the cylinder and in IOO IOS

communication With the exhaust-chamber1 said pipes passing Wholly through the steamohes't and exhaust-chamber respectively and closed at their free ends, said pipes being mounted for reeiproeation in their respective chambers and formed vWith inlet-ports in communication With the respective chambers at all times.

In testimony whereof Wel affix our signatures 1n presence of tWo Witnesses.

CHARLES EDGAR RHODES. JAMES ALFRED ROSS.

Witnesses:

E. C. MARKS, J. D. MILLER.