Improvements in Direct-acting Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES CAMPBELL WORTHINGTON, Mechanical
Engineer, of Irvington, in the State of New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Direct-acting Engines.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates mainly to a vertically arranged duplex engine which is
especially designed to permit of the use of steam expansively, and also to secure the
balancing of the parts, so that the available power exerted by the steam pistons will
be the same, or substantially the same, upon the up and down strokes.
As a full understanding of the invention can best be given by an illustration, and
a detailed description of an organized engine embodying the same, all preliminary
description of the invention will be omitted, and a detailed description given,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine organized according to the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; and
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of one side of the engine, taken on the line 3-3 of
Figure 1.
Referring to said drawings, it is to be understood that the engine, as therein
shown, consists primarily of two high pressure steam cylinders A, B, and two low
pressure steam cylinders C. D. The cylinders A C form one side of the duplex
engine, and the cylinders B. D, the other side; the two cylinders forming each side
of the engine being arranged side by side in vertical position, and being connected
so as to use the steam upon the compound principle. The cylinders are provided
with induction and exhaust valves of ordinary construction, and the piston rods a b
of the cylinders A, B are provided with the usual connections E, by which the valve
of each cylinder is operated from the piston rod of the other, in the manner common
in duplex engines, the piston rods e d being provided with similar, connections F, by
which the valves of those cylinders are operated in the same manner. The steam is
supplied to the cylinder A B through induction pipe G, and after performing its
work in these cylinders, is exhausted through pipes H, and enters the low pressure
cylinders CD, where it acts at a reduced pressure, and is then exhausted through
pipes to the condenser, or to the open air, the same as is usual in compound
engines. In those cases where the pistons of the two cylinders forming the
compound engine act upon the same rod, which is the more common organization,
the valves of the two cylinders are of course arranged so that the steam acts upon
the pistons of the two cylinders in the same direction at the same time. In the
present case, however, the valves of the two cylinders forming each side of the
duplex engines, are arranged so that the steam acts upon their pistons in opposite
directions, that is to say, the valves are so arranged that when the steam is acting
upon the upper side of the piston of the cylinder A, to drive the piston downward,
the exhaust steam from the cylinder A will act upon the underside of the piston of
the cylinder C, to drive that piston upward, and vice versa, and the valves of the
cylinders BD are arranged in the same manner.
Fulcrummed upon the framework beneath the main steam cylinders, is a pair of
rocking beans K, L, which are respectively connected by links with the piston
rods a and b, d. By this means, the pistons of the cylinders AC, and the parts
connected therewith, are caused to move in unison, one piston and its connected
parts making the up stroke while the other piston and its connected parts are

page_text: making the down stroke, thus causing the weight of the condensing piston and its
connected parts to be counterbalanced, or substantially counterbalanced, by the
weight of the ascending piston and its connected parts, thus balancing the engine,
and causing the available power exerted upon the pistons to be the same upon the
up and down strokes. The beams K 1, are provided with openings, for the
passage of the piston rods a bed, as indicated in Figure 3, and the links are
connected to bearings projecting from the sides of the beams, and also to
corresponding bearings projecting from the sides of heads or collars secured to the
piston rods, as indicated in Figure 1. The ends of the beams K L which project
beyond the piston rods, are provided with bearings h, which receive heads i formed
upon the ends of the piston rods, p, of two pairs of oscillating compensating
cylinders k. which are provided with trumnions supported in suitable bearings
upon the framework. These compensating cylinders are supplied with a motor fluid
under suitable pressure, which may be steam, air, or liquid, through pipes m, which
communicate with one of the trunnions of each cylinder, and are arranged
substantially as described in Letters Patent, No. 2342 of 1884. The pressure for
the motor fluid supplied to the compensating cylinders, may be derived in any
the various ways described in Letters Patent Nos. 2342 of 1884, 16858 of 1884,
15770 of 1885, and 6368 of 1886. The compensating cylinders are so arranged
with relation to the beams K L, as to offer a gradually decreasing resistance
to the pistons of the main cylinders A, C and B. D, during the first part of
their strokes and a gradually increasing assistance during the last parts of
their strokes, in the same manner as fully described in the Letters Patent, before
referred to.
The operation of the engine thus organised is as follows:-
of
In describing this operation, it will be assumed that the piston of the cylinder C
has completed its down stroke, and the piston of the cylinder A, its up stroke,
thereby bringing the compensating cylinders and the beam K to the position
indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1; and that the pistons of the cylinders A C
are ready to commence their strokes in the opposite directions. It will be
observed, that when the beam K is in this position, the angle of the rods p of the
compensating cylinders k, with relation to the beam K, is such as to resist the
downward movement of the piston of the cylinder A, and the upward movement of
the piston of the cylinder C. During the first part of the strokes of the pistons
of these cylinders, the power developed by the steam against their pistons will
therefore be resisted by the power developed in the compensating cylinders, but as
the pistons of the main steam cylinders proceed upon their strokes, this resistance
will, owing to the constantly changing angle at which the piston rods of the com-
pensating cylinders act upon the beam K, be gradually reduced until the pistons of
the cylinders A Carrive at the middle of their strokes, as indicated by full lines
in Figure 1, at which time the piston rods of the compensating cylinders will be
brought into line, and will therefore oppose each other, but offer no resistance to the
pistons of the main steam cylinders.
During the last part of the stroke of the pistons of the main steam cylinders, the
operation will be reversed, and the pistons of the compensating cylinders will offer
a gradually increasing assistance to the main steam pistons; all as more fully set
forth in the Letters Patent referred to. The operation of the compensating
cylinders in connection with the steam cylinders B D forming the opposite side of
the engine, will of course, be exactly the same.
This operation of the compensating cylinders permits the admission of steam to
the cylinders A, B, C, D, to be cut off after the pistons of those cylinders have
completed part of their stroke, thus allowing the remainder of the stroke to be
made by the expansive force of the steam in the cylinders, aided by the power
exerted by the compensating cylinders. The engine will therefore be provided
with suitable cut-off valves, as n, which may be operated in any suitable way, as,
for example, in the manner described in the Letters Patent No. 15770 of 1885
before mentioned.

page_text: U 19
By the employment of the beams K, L, for connecting the piston rods of the
two cylinders forming each side of the engine, and thus balancing the engine,
and by causing the piston rods of the compensating cylinders to act upon the ends
of these beams, instead of upon the piston rods
, it becomes feasible to
employ but two of the compensating cylinders for each side of the cugine; whereas,
if the compensating cylinders were not arranged to act upon the beams, it would be
necessary to employ four of these cylinders for each side of the engine,-two for
each of the piston rods, or else to provide the piston rods with cross heads and
bearings to resist the thrust of the pistons of the compensating cylinders, and prevent
distortion of the rods.
Another advantage resulting from the use of the rocking beanis in connection
with the compensating cylinders, is due to the fact, that the employment of the
beams permits the piston rods of the compensating cylinders to occupy a position
more nearly parallel with the main piston rods at the commencement and termina-
tion of the stroke of the engine, and thus offer a proportionately greater opposition
and assistance to the main pistons. This permits the compensating cylinders to be
reduced in size without reducing their effectiveness.
The invention, although herein shown as applied to a compound engine is not
limited in its application to an engine of this character, but is designed to, and may
be applied equally well to engines which do not use steam upon the compound
principle, and also to single as well as duplex engines. In some cases also, but a
single compensating cylinder may be employed for each of the rocking beams, but
it will usually be preferable to employ two, as shown.
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 from
abroad, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The combination with two main steam cylinders, as A, C, of a rocking beam
connecting the piston rods of the two cylinders; a compensating cylinder or
cylinders & having a piston or pistons acting upon said beam, and arranged to offer
a gradually decreasing resistance to the pistons of the main cylinders during the
first part of their strokes, and a gradually increasing assistance during the last part
of their strokes, substantially as described.
2. The combination with two vertical main cylinders, as A C, of a rocking beam
connecting the piston rods of the two cylinders, and a compensating cylinder and
piston acting upon each end of the beam, and arranged to offer a gradually
decreasing resistance to the pistons of the main cylinders during the first part of
their strokes, and a gradually increasing assistance during the last part of their
strokes, substantially as described.
3. The combination with four vertical main steam cylinders forming the two sides
of a duplex engine, of rocking beams K L connecting the piston rods of the two
cylinders forming each side of the engine, and compensating cylinders having
pistons acting upon each of said beams, and arranged to offer a gradually decreasing
resistance to the pistous of the main cylinders during the first part of their strokes,
and a gradually increasing assistance during the last part of their strokes, substan-
tially as described.
1
1 1001
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.