Improvements in Steam or other Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam or other Engines.
I, JOSEPH HARRIS, of 38 Park Street, Harrison Square, Boston, in the County
of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 my invention is to produce an engine in which the main or driving
shaft will be caused to make one revolution for every stroke of the piston, thereby
causing the shaft to rotate at double the speed that it would be if the engine was of
ordinary construction.
The invention consists of a screw threaded shaft mounted in a cylinder of
ordinary construction, and a nut or piston having a corresponding screw thread
working upon said shaft, the nut or piston being held so that it cannot rotate,
thereby imparting a rotary motion to the shaft as it (the nut) travels from one end
of the cylinder to the other, and a reverse rotary motion as it travels in the opposite
direction, and in certain details of construction as hereinafter fully described and
pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings :
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of an engine embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the cylinder in section.
A, represents the cylinder which may be of ordinary construction; B, the covers
which are each provided with a stuffing box C; D, is a shaft that passes through
the cylinder but somewhat out of the centre as will be best seen in Fig. 1, and it is
carried at each end by a bearing E.
The central portion of this shaft D, that is the portion within the cylinder, is of
larger diameter than the ends, and is formed with a screw thread of very steep
pitch. I prefer to employ what is known as a four threaded screw.
F, is a nut or piston formed with a screw thread to correspond with the thread on
the shaft D.
It will be seen that as the shaft D is out of the centre of the cylinder, that the
piston F cannot turn thereon, and as the piston is forced by the steam or other
fluid from one end to the other of the cylinder, the shaft D is caused to rotate once
in one direction (if the screw is of a length as shown) when the piston travels in the
opposite direction the shaft would again be rotated once, but in the reverse
direction, thus imparting an oscillating motion to the crank G, on the end of the
shaft D.
H, is the main shaft of the engine mounted in suitable bearings I, upon this shaft
is secured a fly wheel J, and upon one end of said shaft H, is secured a crank K,
that is connected to the crank G by rods or pitmen L, L', and slide M, that works
in guides N. Upon the other end of the shaft H, is mounted a bevel wheel P, that
is in gear with a bevel wheel Q, twice the diameter of the wheel P, said wheel Q
being mounted upon a shaft R, carried in bearings S. Upon the other end of the
shaft R, is secured an eccentric T, that by rod U, operates the side valve V.
The object of having the wheel Q, twice the diameter of the wheel P, is that the
steam admitted to the cylinder A, will be cut off at the proper moment, for as
the shaft H, is caused to make one revolution to each stroke of the piston F,
the slide valve V, has to be reversed only at the completion of each of such
revolutions.
The operation is as follows:
Steam or other fluid being admitted to one end of the cylinder A, the nut or
niston F is forced to the annosite end and as it is mounted eccentrically upon the

page_text: screw D, it cannot turn in the cylinder, but forces the screw D, to rotate in one
direction during the travel of the nut or piston, but when steam is admitted at the
other end of the cylinder the nut or piston will cause the screw to be rotated in the
opposite direction, thus an oscillating motion is given to the crank G, which being
by rod L connected to the slide M, imparts a reciprocating motion thereto and by
the rod L imparts a rotary motion to the crank K, the momentum of the fly
wheel J, causing the crank K, to always turn in the direction in which it has been
started.
The shaft H, through bevel gears P, Q, shaft R, and eccentric T, operating the
slide valve as before described.
Although I have shown and described the screw D, of such a length as to be
caused to rotate once for each stroke of the piston, it might be made shorter or
longer if desired, so that the piston will cause it to make one half, or one and one
half, or even two revolutions, and instead of operating the slide valve from the
main shaft H, by bevel wheels, any other suitable means may be employed.
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 :
1. In an engine, a cylinder having a screw threaded shaft passing eccentrically
through it, and a nut or piston having a corresponding screw thread, and free to
travel upon said shaft from end to end of the cylinder, but not turn therein substan-
tially as set forth.
2. In an engine, a cylinder having a screw threaded shaft passing through it, a
nut or piston having a corresponding screw thread whereby said shaft is caused to
oscillate as the nut or piston travels, and a crank on the end of said shaft, in com-
bination with a main shaft, a fly wheel mounted thereon, and means for imparting a
continuous rotary motion to said main shaft from the crank on the screw shaft, and
also means for operating the slide valve from the main shaft as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of Mo 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.