US866803A

US866803A - Compound engine.

Info

Publication number: US866803A
Application number: US35687307A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred E Norton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1907-02-11
Filing date: 1907-02-11
Publication date: 1907-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1924-09-24

Description

No. 866,803. PATENIED SEPT. 24, 1907. F. E. NORTON.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR FRED E. NORTON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

Application filed November 8, 1905, $erial No. 286,349. Renewed February 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED E. NORTON, of Youngstown, Mahoning county, Ohio, have invented'a new and useful Compound Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, which is a view largely diagrammatic illustrating the application of my invention.

The invention relates to improvements in that class of engines which use steam or other elastic fluid expansively and which have one or more high pressure cylinders exhausting into one or more low cylinders, and is particularly applicable to a compound engine such as that described and claimed in the copending application of Irving H. Reynolds and Fred E. Norton, Serial No. 286,348, filed November 8th, 1905. In that application is disclosed a compound engine having a high pressure cylinder or element, which always operates as'such, a low pressure cylinder or element, which always operates as such, and a third cylinder or element which may be connected to operate either as a low pressure or as a high pressure element, according to conditions of load. The invention is however not limited to compound engines of this particular type, but it is intended for use wherever it is desired to automatically convert one or more of the low pressure elements of a compound engine into a simple engine, or vice versa. In such engines it has been a common practice to secure an increased start ing cli'ort in certain unfavorable positions of the pistons by introducing high pressure steam into the low pressure element, and this has commonly been accomplished by means of a reducing valve arranged to admit either low or high pressure steam into the low pressure cylinder, while at the same time the counterpressure on the high pressure cylinder has been re lieved by the use of a valve operating to open communication from the high pressure exhaust to the atmosphere or to a condenser. My invention is designed to obviate such practice by providing simple means whereby one oi the low pressure elements can be arranged to exert a rotating effect equal to that of the high pressure element in starting the engine on the load, but which, when the receiver pressure has reached a predetermined point, will operate to automatically cut off the supply of high pressure steam from such low pressure element and cause it to operate in connection with the constant low pressure cylinder as a compound engine.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the provision of a valve, controlled by a differential piston, together with connections whereby said valve will be automatically operated to connect the third Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

1907. Serial No. 356,873.

element or cylinder in either of the two Ways above described.

The drawing illustrates one embodiment of my invention.

In this drawing, 2 designates the high pressure cylinder or element, 3 the low pressure cylinder or element, and 4 the third cylinder or element. The cylinder 2 receives its supply of live steam from the pipe 5 controlled by the usual valve (5 and exhausts into any suitable pipe or receiver space 7 which is connected with the steam chest of the low pressure cylinder 3. I

8 is the common exhaust pipe for the cylinders 3 and 4.

9 is the crank shaft to which the pistons 10 and 11 respectively of the cylinders 2 and 3 are -connected. The piston 12 oi cylinder 4 is also directly connected to the piston 11 by a rod l3.

l4 designates a valve chamber having a supply connection 15 with the live steam and supply pipe 5, a supply connection 16 with the exhaust or'receiver pipe 7, and also valve actuating connections 17 and 18, with the pipes 5 and 7 respectively. The pipe 15 communicates with the valve chamber by the port 19, and the pipe 16 communicates with said chamber by the port 20.

21 designates a balanced slide valve of cylindric or tubular form, and having the heads 22, and an intermediate annular port 23 which opens into a pipe 24 leading to the steam chest of the element or cylinder 4. Connected to one end of said valve is a piston 25 which is arranged to be actuated by steam from the receiver pipe 7 through the pipe 18. Connected to the other end of the valve is a smaller piston 26 which works in a reduced extension 27 of the valve chamber and is arranged to be actuated by pressure admitted through the pipe 17. The ratio of the areas of

pistons

25 and 26 will depend upon the particular engine and the degree of receiver pressure at which it is desired to disconnect the cylinder 4 irom the source of high pressure supply and to connect it to operate as a low pressure element.

The operation is as follows: In the position of the valve shown in the drawings, high pressure steam is admitted to the valve chamber through the pipe 15, and passes through said chamber and the passage 01 port 23 around the valve and through connection 24 to the cylinder 4. This operation continues until such time as the pressure of the exhaust in the pipe 7, acting upon the larger piston 25, is suificient to overcome the high pressure acting upon the smaller piston 26. At such time the valve is moved to close the port 15) and open the port 20, and the cylinder 4 receives its supply from the receiver pipe 7 and opera es as a low pressure element, and continues to so operate until such time as the receiver pressure decreases sufficiently to cause the valve to be again actuated by high pressure steam on the piston 26.

The advantages of my invention result from the automatic manner in which one of the low pressure elements is caused to operate either as a low pressure element or as a high pressure element, according to conditions of load, while the high and low pressure elements proper of the engine operate constantly as such.

It will be obvious that the arrangement of the cylin ders, the valve actuating connections, and the valve itself, may be changed in various ways without departing from my invention, since What I claim is:-

1. In a compound engine, a high pressure cylinder, a low pressure cylinder, and a third cylinder, and an auto matic valve arranged to operate to connect the third cyl inder to operate either as a high or a low pressure ele? ment in conjunction with the other cylinders; substantially as described.

2. In a compound engine, having three cylinders, one of which always operates as a high pressure element, a second always operating as a low pressure element, and the third either as a high or a low pressure element, an automatic valve, and differential pistons connected to said valve and arranged to operate automatically to change the third cylinder from a highpressure element'to a low-pres sure element; substantially as described.

3. In a compound engine, a higlrpressure element always operating as such, a low-pressure element always operating as such, and a third element arranged to operate either as a high or a low-pressure element, a valve, and a ditlerential piston arranged to operate said valve, said piston being exposed on one side to the pressure of the highpressure element, and on the other side to the pressure of the exhaust of said high-pressure element; substantially as described.

4. In a compound engine, having three or more cylinders, two of which normally act in conjunction as low pressure elements of the engine, an automatic valve, and actuating means therefor whereby one of said low pressure elements may be converted to a high pressure ele' ment substantially as described.

In a compound engine, having a high pressure element always acting as such, a low pressure element always acting as such, and a third element having a live steam supply connection, and also a supply connectionwith the receiver discharge between the high and low pressure elements. of an interposed valve arranged to control said supply connections, and a differential piston for operating said valve, said piston being exposed at one side to live steam pressure and at the other side to receiver pressure; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED 1i. NORTON.

Witnesses TIIOS. H. JENKINS, REGINALD I. DRYER.