Neutralizing or Counteracting the Pressure on the Journals of Rapidly Rotating Shafts.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Neutralizing or Counteracting the Pressure on the Journals of
Rapidly Rotating Shafts.
I, CARL GUSTAF Patrik de LaVAL, Dr. Phil. of No. 16ª Handtverkaregatan,
Stockholm, Sweden, 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 object of the present invention is, entirely or to any desired extent, to
neutralize or counterbalance the pressure and consequent friction which in rapidly
rotating engines, is produced on the journals of the pinion or wheel by means of
which the motive power is transmitted from the engine shaft to the transmitting
gear. The more powerful such an engine is the greater is the force which has at
each revolution of the shaft in question to be transferred to the transmitting gear.
In such engines the pressure on the journals of the shaft thus produced will be so
great, that in spite of liberal lubrication and carefully made bearings, the journals
will be liable to grip in the said bearings. It will therefore be necessary partly or
entirely to relieve or neutralize this pressure. This is obtained by the present
invention in such manner that two or more wheels are placed are placed around the
pinion in question, thus transmitting the motive power to a corresponding number
of spindles or shafts, each of which either drives a machine whose capacity to absorb
power is so regulated that no undue pressure or not more than is desired is produced
on the journals of the pinion shaft. Or if it be desired to drive only one machine
by the engine this may be done by coupling said spindles or shafts together by a
special coupling which thus regulates the resistance in the wheels driven by the
pinion in such a manner that the above-named result is obtained.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing which are respectively elevation
partly in section and plan partly in section an example of first-named case is shown,
in which the motive power is transmitted by several shafts or spindles each of which
drives its own machine.
Figures 3 and 4 show in elevation partly in section and plan partly in section the
last named case in which the motive power is first transmitted to several spindles
which then communicate motion to one common shaft.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 a is the shaft of a rapidly rotating engine or motor,
for instance a rotary steam or gas engine, bis the pinion by means of which the motive
power has to be transmitted from the engine shaft. ccare the journals of the shaft of
the pinion b. On each side of the piniou there is a wheel d into both of which wheels
the pinion is geared and thus transmits the motion to the axles ee of the wheels d.
In the drawing only two such wheels are shown but of course three or more wheels
may be placed around the pinion b. The machines to be driven from the engine
shafts a are coupled to the axles e e either directly or by means of suitable power
transmitting gear. ff. indicate such machines applied directly to the spindles ee
and they may be ventilators, pumps, dynamos or the like. It is evident that the

page_text: pinion can be made to be suspended in the air by regulating by suitable means, the
amount of work consumed by these machines for if for some reason or other it be
desired to maintain a small amount of pressure in the journals cc this pressure can
be kept within any desired limits.
It should be understood that the above machines f. f. may also be replaced by
motors of some kind and thus the shaft a would be the driven instead of the driving
shaft. In this case the slower rotary motion is turned into a quicker. This result is
obtained by means of the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4.
a is as before the engine shaft, b the pinion for the transmission of the motive
power, c c the journals of the shaft of the pinion, d d the wheels on each side of the
pinion and ee the axles of these wheels. 9 is the shaft by means of which the
parts e e, through gearing are connected in such a manner, that the shaft q takes up
the amount of work transmitted by the spindles e e. On this shaft are placed two
loose cog wheels h h which gear into corresponding pinions on the spindles e e.
Between the two wheels h h there are one or more levers k or a disc fixed on the
shaft 9, which lever or levers k are made forked at the end and there support a
cross-bar or balance 1, the extremities of which enter recesses n n in the sockets o o
which are in the arms or webs of the cog-wheels h h. The bar is provided both at
that point where it is supported by the lever k, and at the ends with spherical bosses
so that it has a certain amount of play at the supported points. If several levers k
be employed then each of them supports a similar bar or lever l. If a disc is
employed instead of levers k then it is provided at the circumference with recesses
or holes, in which the bars are inserted. In this case it may be convenient to
provide means for giving the mechanism a certain amount of elasticity in order to
obtain a satisfactory co-operation between the different parts and thus produce
smoother working.
If it be desired only to have that pressure on the journals c c which results from
the horizontal support of the weight of the revolving body, then the bar is made
equal armed, that is to say it is supported at its centre by the lever k as shown in
the drawing. It is plain then, that if any of the wheels d d should be required to
exert a pressure on the journals ce, then this pressure is transmitted by means of a
corresponding wheel pinion i and shaft e to the other cogwheel d by which the
pressure referred to is compensated.
If on the other hand it be desired that there shall be a certain amount of pressure
on the journals cc, then the bar or lever 7 has simply to be made in a corresponding
way with arms of different lengths instead of, as in the previous case, with arms of
equal length.
In a similar way as above remarked the shaft 9 can of course be used as the
driving shaft and the shaft a as the driven shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. An arrangement of parts for entirely or partially neutralizing or counter-
acting the pressure which in rapidly rotating engines is produced on the journals of
the pinion or the like in the conversion of a rapid to a slower rotation or on the
other hand of a slower to a more rapid rotation, consisting therein that two or more
wheels gearing with the pinion actuate or on the other hand are driven by, a
corresponding number of machines or other rotating parts, the amount of power
required by each machine being so regulated that the peripheral force can be
balanced to any desired extent or on the other hand the aforesaid wheels are coupled
together to a common shaft by means of coupling which automatically regulates the
said peripheral forces substantially as described.
Second. An arrangement of automatic coupling mentioned in Claim 1 consisting
of wheels running loose on the before mentioned common shaft, which wheels work
together each by its gearing from the wheels gearing with the pinion and which

page_text: drive or are driven by a clutch or carrier situated on the before mentioned shaft by
means of one or more equal armed or unequal armed bars or levers fixed on the
clutch in such a manner that a certain amount of play is allowed.
Third. The constructions of devices as shown on the drawings.
Dated this 19th day of August 1892.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.