Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-09-01
TYLER.

new luNeutton III Steath ftetDuhi'rs
Correspondence OF the Gazette.
LoNGvIEw, TEX, Aug. Sl.-Mr. ID. ID.
Pinkham, long time resident of this city,
and q thorough machinist, has Invented,
and just received letters patent fora steam
engine, which, judging from the action
of the machine itself, as well as the nu-
merous congratulatory greetings of his
brother machinists and engineers from
all points, Is to very soon take the places
Of the present styles of stationary engines
The invention effects more especially
the cylinder and its mechanism, and to
make 1t more perfectly understood, the
following description of one which is now
running at the Longylcw machine shops
is given. There is but one cylinder, having
a head on each end, recess midway, and
an opening at the recess, the opening
being closed up by Il cap. This can be
removed to obtain access to the
working parts Of the engine. The
recess contains oil In which
runs the crank, and which automatically
lubricatcs the working parts. The recess
is large enough to admit of Il stroke equal
to or more than the diameter of the cyl
inder. The piston is cast in one piece.
There are slots at the middle of the pis-
ton at both the bottom and top sides,
which are somewhat longer than the
stroke, having the longer sides parallel to
each other and to the line OF stroke. The
heads of each end of piston are perfectly
packed. Midway in each side of the cyl
lnder are journal boxes, each having an
extension which fits into its correspond
ing piston slot, which act as guides to
the piston, keeping it always true, and
thus perfectly preventing any unequal
wearing of the cylinder and consequent
pounding and blowing. A shaft passes
through the journal boxes and is provld-
ed with crank connected to one or both
the piston heads by pitman. The boxes
have perfectly conical bushings. Ports
at each end OF the cylinder admit steam
from the steam chest, in which work
slide valves. These latter are connected
to II yoke which is slotted at
both top and bottom, through which
passes the end of a cam on the shaft, the
cam giving reciprocatory motion to the
yoke. The openings midway of the pis-
ton are passages for the ends of the
crank-shaft, while the crank passes
through the cylinder, opening at each
revolution, dipping into the OIL The
motion of the yoke is not like that of an
eccentric-slow and regular, but is rapid
for portion of the stroke, and then rests
while the cam passes from one side to the
other. The parts are thus opened and
closed with rapidity that insures a
high rate of speed. There are two cams,
one of which is fastened as an eccentric (;
the other being the cutoff cam, Is loose
on the shaft, and is operated by an auto
matte governor. The cutoff as used by
Mr.. Pmkham, is great economy, the
short portage and the perfect action of
the automatic cam allowing the use of
the entire force of the steam, ii being en-
abled to expand to its fullest extent be-
fore exhaust. There Is very little money
in the manufacture of the stationary en-
ginos now in use, the cost of
construction being so great, but this
Is essentially Il cheaply constructed en-
CINE, there being no heavy castings, no
bed nor vibrating parts. 1t is practically
sclf-supportlng piece of mechanism
There Is but one cylinder to build, in
stead of three, as in the Westinghouse
consequently this part costs but one
third of the cylinders of that engine. The
| piston Is made for less than the piston
rod OF any other engine, and there Is no
piston-rod at all with this. Other parts
are correspondingly light as to cost.
| Mr.. Pinkham has spent many sleep
less night and many gloomy day before
success crowned his efforts, and 1t must
be source of qualification to him to read
the words OF praise and commentator
which reach him daily from his brother
engineers and machnists all over this
country and Canada.
| lie is poor man, unable alone to begin
its manufactures and so far, although
daily receiving offers to form company
for Its manufacture, he has not yet made
any arrangements.
1t may be stated, in conclusion, that
the engine he has in use, although but a
l8-inch cylinder, aud occupying a space
II inches deep, 10 wide and 10 long, runs
the entire machinery of the shop, con-
sisting of lathes, planer, ctc.-all iron
workers. W. w. Woop.
!