Propsion of Velocipedes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 4th Oct, 1887.
I
the Propulsion of Velocipedes.
I, Lucius DAY COPELAND, of the City of Camden in the County of Camden,
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS CHIEFLY DESIGNED
FOR THE PROPULSION OF VELOCIPEDES" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to an engine and boiler of novel construction chiefly designed
for propelling velocipedes and my improvements consist principally in the combination
with the engine of a peculiarly designed casing and also in the combination with the
throttle and a brake of a lever for simultaneously operating both.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my improvements
Figure 1 is a plan of an engine and boiler applied to a tricycle.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a detached side view of the water and oil tanks.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the adjustable valve eccentric.
Figure 5 is an elevation partly in section of the same and Figure 5 A is a section of
the oil tank.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section, partly in plan of a steam engine with throttle lever
and brake in elevation.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the engine and support.
Figure 8 is a vertical section on line of Figure 6.
Figure 9 is a vertical section of a boiler constructed according to my invention.
Figures 10 and 11 are horizontal sections on, lines aa and y y respectively of
Figure 9.
In Figures
and 2 I have shewn my improved engine and boiler applied to a
tricycle which is of the usual construction. It has a frame composed of a backbone A
and a cross-bar B each of which is a metal tube.
Frepresents a steam-boiler, which may be of any suitable construction, but is
preferably constructed as hereinafter particularly described, and G represents a steam
.

page_text: engine which also, may be of any suitable construction, but is preferably constructed
as hereinafter described.
Grepresents the crank-shaft of the engine which carries a gear wheel g¹ that
meshes with an idler the latter gearing with a toothed wheel i fast on shaft I. Said
shaft has another gear wheel which meshes with a like wheel C2 on the axle c, so
that when the crank-shaft G¹ revolves the axle will turn and the machine move.
Beneath the cross-piece B is a water tank K for feeding the boiler through a
suitable pipe which passes through the backbone A or may be otherwise connected
to the boiler. The exhaust from the engine may be discharged through a pipe m into
the backbone A and is carried therefrom by another pipe m leading into and passing
nearly all the way around the tank K, as shewn in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3,
discharging near the top of the said tank as shewn. Should there be any exhaust
steam left after condensation takes place it may find an outlet through pipe & and
discharge near the ground.
Tank K may be constructed for the use of ice for condensing purposes, which after
being melted, is used together with the water produced by condensation, for feed water
for the boiler or it may be filled with water instead of ice. This produces rapid con-
densation of the exhaust and economizes water, so that a much longer run can be
made than would otherwise be possible. If the engines exhausted directly into the
open air the water supply would soon be exhausted.
The steam from the boiler is supplied to the engine by a pipe O and oil is supplied
for heating said boiler from a reservoir P to an atomizer or burner Q by means of a
pipe p.
This pipe p may also pass through the back-bone A and its oil is thereby
heated by the exhaust steam, the back-bone thus serving as a heater for the feed water
and oil. The oil reservoir P is located inside the water tank K, thereby ensuring
safety or lessening danger of explosion and it may be filled by directly pouring the
oil into it. Or in any other suitable manner. The oil may be drawn to the atomizer
or burner by a vacuum or exhaust action of the latter, or any suitable force-feed may
be employed for the purpose and a pump or an injector may be used for feeding the
boiler.
Though I have described my improved engine and boiler as applied to a tricycle
they may be applied to other forms of velocipedes and my invention therefore extends
to other riding vehicles and is not confined to one having three wheels.
A brake is provided for stopping the tricycle in the usual manner and the lever U
thereof may
desired be connected with the engine crank and valve eccentric in
such manner that the extent to which the engine shall work by expansion is brought
under control. The construction adopted for this purpose is shewn in detail in
Figures 4 and 5, where G2 is the crank, G¹ the crank shaft and H the valve eccentric,
the latter having a slot ' in which the crank-shaft fits and which permits the move-
ment of said eccentric on said shaft, so as to alter the eccentricity of the former and
thereby vary the position at which steam is cut off and so regulate the extent to which
the working of the engine shall depend upon expansion.
The crank-shaft is made hollow and receives a rod T, having a head t and a collar t¹,
a spiral spring 3 pressing against the latter and against a shoulder in the crank shaft
and tending to move said rod outwardly, or to the right in figure 4. The head t has
an inclined projection T¹ which bears against a radial sliding pin u secured to the
eccentric and passing through an opening in the crank-shaft. V is a spiral spring in
a socket in the crank-shaft and bearing against the eccentric. When the rod or slide T
is moved inwardly or to the left the inclined piece T¹, by its pressure on the pin u,
noves the eccentric laterally in one direction, and it is moved in the opposite direction
by spring V, when the spring t² moves said rod T outwardly or to the right in the
drawing. To move the rod Tinwardly any due connection between it and the brake-
lever may be made, so that when the brake is put on such outward movement will be
effected. As suitable means for the purpose I have shown a bell-crank lever W, one
arm of which is connected at w with the brake-strap or shoe, the other arin bearing
against the exposed projecting end of rod T. The bell-crank lever W may be
fulcrummed at won the frame of the tricycle.

page_text: By the means just described when the brake is put on, the cut off (which depends,
as usual, upon the throw of the eccentric), is adjusted so that the steam is entirely cut
off or not admitted at all. The point of cut off will depend upon the distance the
brake lever is thrown after it has released the brake-drum, sufficient steam being
admitted to propel the machine at any desired speed.
Referring now to Figures 6, 7, 8 of the accompanying drawing A' represents the
cylinder, B2 the piston, C² the piston rod, D² the cross-head, E the crank, 2 the con-
necting-rod, G2 the valve eccentric, and H2 the valve-rod, having a cross-head 2, the
said several parts being of the usual construction employed in reciprocating engines
and which need not, therefore, be hereon particularly described.
That
All the said parts are enclosed in a casing whereby dust and dirt is excluded and a
chamber formed for oil or other lubricant, in which said enclosed parts run.
portion of the casing which encloses the piston-rod C and cross-lead D³ consists of a
shell 12 which is a prolongation of or extension on the cylinder and forms a guide for
said cross-head.
That portion of the casing which encloses the connecting rod and crank is a flat
shell K which has a round end which is attached to the end of the part 13 by a
screw joint or threaded slit coupling L2, said shell having its opposite end a circular
head K which receives on one side a detachable screw disk or cap k, which can be
removed when the crank is to be put on or off its shaft et, said disk having a centrally
located angular nut or projection k³ for the application of a wrench.
The opposite side of head K has a hollow boss K³ which forms a bearing for the
crank-shaft e and receives a steel bushing 3. Said bearing K³ is formed with a
threaded flange, which constitutes one side of another circular head L that forms
the part of the casing enclosing the valve eccentric G2 and has a bearing L³ which
forms the second bearing of the crank-shaft e. This head L' is on a flat portion of
the casing marked L, in which the valve connecting rod moves and which has at one
end a threaded mouth 2 which receives the end of a telescopic pipe M2, in which the
rod H2 and cross-head 2 move, said crosshead being guided in said pipe and the latter
being slid onto a projecting portion N2 of the stuffing-box of the valve-stem N, and is
also supported nearly midway of the engine by the threaded split coupling L2, said
coupling being drawn tightly around said pipo and also around the two parts of the
engine L and K by means of a screw or bolt.
It will be noted that the several parts of the casing described form practically one
chamber enclosing the portions of the engine ordinarily left exposed, said casing
operating to exclude dust and said chamber being adapted to receive and hold oil for
lubricating the moving parts of the engine.
Said casing is so made that it can be readily disjointed or taken apart and put
together again. When in place the casing prevents contact, accidental or otherwise,
with the usually exposed moving parts of the engine, which is of special importance
for the particular service for which the engine is primarily intended, viz.: as a motor
for a tricycle or other riding vehicle.
I am aware that engines have been heretofore encased, the entire structure being
in one large chamber and hence I do not broadly claim a casing for an engine. In
my construction, however, the parts comprising the casing are close fitting and com-
pact and, while there is communication between the parts of the casing yet, in a
sense, there are separate chambers for the moving parts, thus materially reducing the
bulk or dimensions of the structure.
な
02 represents the lever by which the throttle valve Q³ is controlled and it is con-
nected with a brake-strap P2 or equivalent shoe, operating on a brake-wheel R2, which
may be on the eccentric shaft or engine shaft or on another shaft S², receiving
motion by any suitable form of gearing from said eccentric shaft.
Trepresents the connecting-rod for the throttle-valve and it is in two sections t
and to, the latter having a socket t' which receives the end of the former. When the
brake is thrown off, by the action of the lever 02, the rod T is pressed inwardly, (to
the left in the drawing), thereby opening the throttle against the opposing influence
of a spiral spring 3 which pushes said rod outwardly and closes the throttle when said

page_text: lever is operated to throw on the brake. By these means the throttle and brake are
simultaneously moved by a single lever, the throttle being opened when the brake 'is
thrown off and closed when said brake is put on.
In the use for which this engine is primarily designed, viz. as a motor for a
tricycle, the throttle will be connected in the manner described, with the ordinary
brake-lever used on such machines.
Referring now to the boiler and particularly to Figs. 9, 10, 11, of the accompanying
drawing, A and B represent two main cylinders, connected by a conical section C
which said parts form the shell or casing of the boiler, which shell should be lined
with asbestos or other incombustible non-conductor to retain the heat. As shown in
fig. 10 of the drawing, the lining is composed of sectional pieces of asbestos B° B³
applied to the walls of cylinder B between the cylinder D hereinafter described.
Within the main cylinder A* and supported upon a balcony of the section C4
are a number of cylinders D D, D &c. Any desired number of these cylinders
may be used, though I have illustrated seven, one central cylinder and six others sur-
rounding it. The central cylinder D₁ is connected at or near its top and bottom with
the surrounding cylinders D5 De etc. by short pipes or communicating passages d², d
&c., so that there shall be a circulation between them. The cylinders D, etc. have
fire-fluese e extending from end to end, and drop or pendant water-legs or tubes ff,
which extend from the bottoms of the cylinders as shown down into the main
cylinder B', the latter constituting the fire or combustion chamber, in which may be a
grate, atomizer or other adjunct for burning fuel, either solid, liquid or gaseous. The
central cylinder D has six flues and one central water leg and the surrounding cylin
ders have each five flues and three water-legs, the latter being located near the central
cylinder, but the number of flues and water legs may be varied and their arrangement
changed, as my invention is not limited to any particular number or arrangement.
The fire tubes are open at both ends and discharge into an upper chamber formed
by a surrounding conical cap G4, while the water legs or tubes are open at the top,
where they communicate with the interior of the cylinders and are closed or blank at
their lower ends.
The central cylinder has an opening d through which the steam generated in the
boiler is drawn off and water is supplied through a pipe d' leading into one of the
outer cylinders. It will be noted that by the described construction a safety boiler is
produced in which the water is distributed into small bodies, so that results from
explosions are diminished or lessened, with which the heat in the fire chamber or
casing and flues can come into close contact, while steam can be "got up" quickly.
It will be noted that steam is taken from the central cylinder only, the steam
generated in the outer cylinders passing into said central cylinder. As the latter is
surrounded on all sides by fire and has more fire tubes than the other cylinders it is
the hottest cylinder of the entire number and becomes, in effect, a superheater for the
steam generated in the outer cylinders and supplied to it. Hence I obtain dry hot
steain for the engine.
l
As an additional feature or modification of part of my invention, I have shown in
Fig. 5 an oil tank to be used in connection with the tricycle or other vehicle, and
which supplies the burner. I intend that the oil shall be fed from this tank to the
burner by air pressure and for this purpose I attach an air pump to the tank, the
barrel thereof reaching to about the bottom of the tank and having a check valve to
prevent back pressure. A few strokes of the piston will produce sufficient pressure
to supply the burner.
At 21 locate a cock or valve which may be connected to the brake lever or other-
wise operated and by openings which the air pressure may be reduced so as to cut off
the supply of oil to the burner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is-
1st. The combination with an engine of an enclosing casing comprising the separable
parts 12 K², I and M², substantially as shown and described.

page_text: 2nd. The combination with an engine of a casing comprising a tubular part which
encases the piston rod and forms a guide for the piston cross-head; another tubular
part which encloses the valve rod and forms a guide for the valve cross-head, and a
part which encloses the crank shaft and forms bearings therefor, said parts being
communicating and separable substantially as shown and described.
3rd. The combination with the main cylinders A and B and conical joining
section of the multiple cylinders D* D³ etc. located in said main cylinder A* and
having fire tubes and drop water legs or pendant tubes which extend down into said
main cylinder B* the latter forming a fire or heating chamber substantially as shown
and described.
4th. In a steam boiler or generator the combination with an encasing shell of multiple
cylinder located in one section or half thereof and having water legs or pipes extending
into the other section or half, said cylinders being arranged with one in the center and
the others surrounding and communicating with it said cylinders having fire tubes
substantially as shown and described.
5th. In a steam boiler or generator the combination with a surrounding casing of a
central cylinder and others cylinders surrounding it, each of said surrounding cylinders
having fire flues and drop tubes and having steam and water connections with the
central cylinder, the latter having fire flues and a steam exit substantially as shown
and described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.