Improvements in Steam Engines and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1894--Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines and the like.
A communication by EDWARD GSCHWIND, of 152, South Peters Street, New
Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The invention relates to steam engines and the like, and has for its object to
simplify their construction and secure a high economy of power;
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation;
Figure 2 is a plan; and
Figures 3 and 4 are broken sections taken at right angles to the view in Figure 1
and showing two situations of the cylinder pistons.
Numeral 1 denotes a cylinder supported by posts or standards 2 rising from a
suitable bed plate or base; but any desired manner of arranging and supporting it
may be adopted. Cylinder 1 is without fixed heads and is provided with four
pistons 3, 4, 5 and 6. The pistons 3 and 5 are fixed to the rods 7 and 8 which pass
freely through stuffing boxes or packed openings in piston 4. The latter piston as
well as piston
are fixed to the rod 9 which passes freely through a suitably
packed opening in piston 5.
10 denotes a crank shaft, and 11, 13 and 14 are crank arms. To arms 13
is pivotally joined the connecting rod 15 which has a loose connection with
a bracket 16 attached to piston rods 7 and 8 and mediately to the pistons 3 and 5.
The pistons 4 and 6 are by the medium of rod 9 fixed to a cross head 17 which
in turn is connected by rods 18 and 20 and loose connecting rods 21 and 22 to the
crank arms 11 and 14 respectively. These arms are set at a distance of
180 degrees from arms 13, the latter constituting in effect but a single crank.
23 denotes an eccentric for operating the valve gear, and 24 are connecting rods
for transmitting power to suitably move the valves. 25, 25' and 25" denote valve
ports for admitting live steam and 26, 26¹ and 26" indicate exhaust ports. 27 and
27 are valves designed to be closed when it is desired to use live steam between
pistons 3 and 4 and between and 6.
At other times when steam is exhausted into
the space between these pistons, as indicated by the arrows feathered upon one side
only, the valves 27 and 27' will be opened. Thus, for example, in starting a
locomotive, these valves would be closed and live steam would be admitted
alternately through valve ports 25, 251 and 25¹¹.
Steam entering through port 25", valve 29 being suitably opened, would enter
between pistons 4 and 5 and cause them to recede from each other, the pistons 3
and 6 being at the same time drawn towards each other. As soon as these
movements have attained their desired and predetermined limits, the steam inlet
port 25¹¹ is closed and exhaust port 25 opened and steam thereupon exhausted
through it and through the central port 26. Simultaneously with this exhaust,
live steam is admitted through ports 25 and 251 with the effect to return the pistons
to their original positions, exhaust taking place through the ports 26¹ and 26"
subsequently and during the time pistons 4 and 5 are being driven apart.

page_text: The operation thus described does not provide for utilizing exhaust steam which
however may and in general practice will be done in the manner common in
compound engines. In such case valves 27 and 27 will be open, and after
admitting steam between pistons 4 and 5 through port 25 the port is closed and
port 25 opened and the steam allowed to follow the paths indicated by the
arrows feathered on one side only and to expand at one end between pistons 3 and 4
and at the other between pistons 5 and 6. The steam is finally exhausted through
ports 26¹ and 26¹¹ as before, the exhaust port 26 remaining closed.
As in the operation just described, the partially exhausted steam from between
the middle pistons is divided into two parts each of which is allowed to finally
expand between two pistons, it has double space for expansion therein. The
apparatus can therefore be used as a compound engine and though simple in
structure is adapted to use steam economically and under either a high or a low
pressure. In neither case is any steam pressure wasted on a fixed cylinder head as
the whole is directly applied to the pistons: and the pressure upon these is
so balanced as to avoid all unnecessary strains and shocks and to produce a very
quiet and smoothly running engine. The improvement utilizes the thrust or push
which in case of cylinders having fixed beads is expended on said heads by
applying it through the medium of the pistons to the crank shaft. This enables
heavy bed plates and frames to be dispensed with.
Further as the dead centers are directly opposite each other the thrust on
the shaft is neutralized and the strain and friction at the shaft bearings reduced.
The cylinder is preferably made a little longer than four times the length of the
piston stroke plus the aggregate thickness of the pistons. Each steam port is
placed about the center of a third of the cylinder's length and each is adapted to
be used both for admitting steam to or exhausting it from the cylinder.
Neither the particular form of the valve chest and valve gear, nor the upright
position of the cylinder, nor the kind of piston, nor the particular character
of other details are essential and these may be varied by mechanical skill,
provided substantially the same principles of operation and construction are
preserved.
It is obvious that two or more cylinders with pistons and other necessary devices
can be used in combination and their crank arms so set that they cannot all be
simultaneously in line with the connecting rods and with the dead centers. It is
further obvious that two crank shafts may be run by each cylinder. Although
steam has been mentioned the engine can be run by any suitable fluid customarily
utilized for the transmission of pressure in engines, and it is adapted for general use
and is not limited to any special purpose or machinery.
My correspondent is aware that open ended cylinders having four pistons have
been proposed, the outer pistons being both connected to a crank arm to move
together in the same direction and the others being arranged to be moved each by
a separate crank, the three cranks being arranged at angles of 120 degrees to each
other, and he is also aware that separate pistons have been connected to crank arms
situated at 180 degrees apart and that multiple cylinders have been provided with
ports for introducing and exhausting steam, individual ports being used for both
purposes, and such matters are not claimed but the construction hereinafter pointed
out.
It is characteristic of this improvement in these respects that the alternate
pistons only are rigidly connected to each other, each end piston having a rod or
rods fixed to it and passing loosely through the adjoining piston and fixed to that
one which is next the other end piston all as required by the operation herein set
forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In an engine, the headless cylinder for applying power by fluid pressure in
combination with four pistons, the alternate pistons being fixed to each other by

page_text: rods passing freely through the inner piston of each pair respectively, a valve and
valve port between the innermost pistons adapted to admit steam to separate them
and to cause the end pistons both to move inwardly and ports for admitting steam
to move said end pistons outwardly, substantially as set forth.
2. In an engine, the headless cylinder for åpplying power by fluid pressure in
combination with four pistons, the alternate pistons being fixed to each other
in pairs by rods passing freely through the inner piston of each pair respectively,
and valves for admitting live steam alternately between the inner pistons and
between each of them and an outer piston for working under high pressure
and moving a member of each pair alternately toward and from the corresponding
member of the other pair, substantially as set forth.
3. In an engine, the headless cylinder for applying power by fluid pressure, in
combination with four pistons, the alternate pistons being connected in pairs by
rods passing through the inner piston of each pair respectively, and valves for
admitting live steam between the inner pistons and exhausting from thence to
and between each of them, and an outer piston to work the steam expansively,
substantially as set forth.
4. In an engine, the headless cylinder for applying power by fluid pressure, in
combination with four pistons, the alternate pistons being connected in pairs by
rode passing through the inner piston of each pair respectively, valves for either
admitting live steam alternately between the inner pistons and between each
of them and an outer piston or for admitting live steam between the inner pistons
and exhausting from thence to and between each of them and an outer piston,
substantially as set forth.
5. In combination the headless cylinder having the four pistons, the alternate
pistons being fixed to each other in pairs, the shaft provided with crank arms, the
intermediate devices connecting the alternate pistons to independent crank arms,
said arms being arranged ou directly opposite sides of the shaft, substantially
as set forth.
6. In combination a cylinder having no fixed heads and provided with three
ports each adapted to admit steam to or exhaust it from the same, valves to control
such alternative operations and four pistons, the alternate pistons being fixed to
each other in pairs by rods passing freely through the inner piston of the other
pair, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of July 1894.