The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-04
HENRY =. BUCK INVENTS
ENGINE WITHOUT PISTON.
Confident That He Has Solved
Problem Which Puzzled En-
gineers for More Than
Century.

New York. Jan. 8. = In a corner of a
Brooklyn machine shop there is TO be found
the latest wonder of an inventive mans
brain and handiwork.
1t does not impress one. however. at the
first glance. Looking at it one sees what
is apparently the cylinder of a steam en-
CINE. 1t is evidently a steam box, for there
are the steam pipes, and 1t is exhausting
hot water and vapor. but where is the pis-
ton that is the accepted essential In 4 steam
engine?
You watch IT carefully. and you see 1t
is revolving at terrific speed. You ask the
attendant and he tells you:
"Oh. yes: it's working. Turning 1000 rev.
olutions to the minute now. Can go $500
IL we push it to the utmost"
But" you ask. what is 1t doing?"
What does any enginefdo?" retorts the
attendant. ITS transmitting power-turn-
ing that hig shafting to which. it is
coupled
do you mean to say that that's the
whole engine?' YOU inquire, wondeIingly.
1T certainly is" is the reply you receive,
and if you have COME well recommended
and as the inventors guest. you will be
Initiated into the mysteries of the latest
marvel that IS destined to revolutionize the
present methods of applying power for pro
and factories. speeding locomotives. run
ming automobiles, launches or dynamos.
H. A. BUCK THE INVENTOR.
Before you have seen this little steam
and won the confidence Of a tall. sturdy.
thoughtful man, grown gray in the study
of his favorite science. who is now ready
to tell you of this latest child of his years
Of study to solve the problems that have
puzzled steam engineers for a century.
1t is the inventor, Henry A. Buck. He Is
hazard a guess you would probably give
him credit for ten more years of toll and
study. He is a New Highlander. d son or
the Nutmeg State. and his connection with
mechanics began when he was but 10 years
old.
He has occupied every position from APP
prentice boy to superintendent Of a steam
engine building plant employing 1000 men.
The dream of his life has been to discover
the means of solving the most difficult prob
lem of engineering-of saving the tremen-
dous quantity Of energy that Is lost by
steam engines Of the most improved type
and of applying the power direct.
plant and the engine that he is confident
has solved these problems, and some of the
greatest engineers of the day agree with
TwELvE-INCH CYLINDER.
The engine itself Is SO simple. that 1t
seems to the layman impossible that it
brief explanation of its methods s%uffices. It
is a cyiinder-a mere steel shell about u
inches long and u inches high.
Through 1t runs a central shaft. A cross
section would show that in the center OF
this shaft u steel disk is riveted and to this
disk are attached three metal cylinders,
These three cylinders make the engines
triple expansion. and the surfaces of each,
on which the power Is applied. are so ar
enormous area on which the steam acts is
secured and the greatest amount possible
Of the expansive force in the steam Is
The engine has no dead center. no pistons.
piston rings or rods. no steam-chest valve,
valve rods. eccentrics. cams. link motions.
sliding parts. reciprocating parts or any of
these things common to the accepted type
of engines. 1t receives Its steam at the
highest temperature possible and exhausts
1t at 40 degrees lower than any other engine
now in use.
A Oo-horse-power engine of this style.
made, Of %castiron steel. weighs about 800
ernor. can be operated or placed in any
possible, position. even If inverted and bolt
ed to the ceiling or against the wall. or
horizontally or perpendicularly, running alb
sotutely without vibration, can b. instantly
and smoothly started. stopped or reversed.
The engine can be constructed Of cast
aluminium. so that where lightnes 50 is abso-
lutely essential, together with great struc-
tSral strength; il can be made in a form
every pound of weight. To enc who has
associated power in an engine with
bulk, its small size, simplicity, strength
and durability come as a .revela ton.
This new engine invented by Mr.. Buck,
can properly be called a t"riple-expanston.
condensing, revolving engine: the pressure
is always applied at the point Of greatest
leverage, and can be made reversible. The
engine, while strong, solid ard durable.
occupies only from one-eighth to one-six- |
teenth of the space in cubic feet or in
height. width or length Of any engine OF
the same horsepower now in use, and has
less weight in operative parts.
In perfecting his ideas, Mr.. Buck built
a plant In London, and later on installed
an improved system in Berlin. The latter
was inspected by William p. Digby, menu
Der of the Royal Society of Engineers OF
London. In his summary he made the fol-
lowing
mfr. Bucks engine and generator will
carry us many steps nearer to the engf-
neer's ideal Of 100 per cent efficiency. 1t will
the present coal bills OF electric
lighting works and factories to .one-third or
Of the present dimensions.
added 10 this there is. the advantage OF
reduced initial cost and simplicity and light |
ness OF moving parts. A special future for
the Buck engine lies in adaptation for ma |
rine work, a sphere in which 1t will be
eagerly welcomed.
First and foremost In the recognition Of ,
its advantages will be its fuel economy. !.
For slow-speed freight steamers a educ
ton Of 80 per cent In the bunker space and
cost Of fuel. and a consequent increase of
carrying power will be obtained. For ocean |
liners, cruisers and battleships the engine !
win greatly reduce the sizes OF the engine