IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1889

page_text: We, WILLIAM OSCAR WORTH, and JOHN DAVID WORTH, of Ceder Rapids, in the
County of Linn, and State of Iowa, United States of America, Machinists, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES 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 to steam engines in which the operative mechanism is enclosed
in a shell adapted to hold lubricating matter; and the object of the invention is to so
construct engines of this class as to increase their efficiency, reduce the cost of manu-
facture and improve their appearance.
The invention consists in the construction, combination and adaptation of mechanism
to its required functions in the engine, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.
In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification :
Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of the engine transverse to the crank-
shaft.
Figure 2 is an horizontal section of the same below the line aa as to the heads, and
the line bb as to the rest.
Figure 3 a plan view of the head at the left hand of Figures 1 and 2, as viewed from
the inside toward the cylinder.
Figure 4a vertical section of the same on the line ee, all of said lines being drawn
on Figure 1.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the engine on the line dd of Fig. 6; Fig. 6,
an end elevation of the same, partly sectional, on the line ee of Fig. 5; Fig. 7. a
fragmentary view, showing a modification in the construction of the exhaust valve and
its connections, in the line gg of Fig. 8, and Fig. 8, a fragmentary view of the same
in the line ff of Fig. 7.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the drawings, A is the shell, having a suitable base whereby it is
mounted upon and attached to a floor or other foundation. In practice we make this
shell in substantially the form shown in the various figures, with the central portion
enlarged and circular in longitudinal section, and with end portion semicircular in
77

page_text: cross section, as shown in Fig. 6. This construction gives the engine a symmetrical
and attractive appearance, as will be seen, and also secures a simple and economical
arrangement of sieam passages and other parts.
Over the open, central portion of the shell are secured heads BB, having hubs B¹ B¹
adapted to serve as boxes for the crank-shaft E. The inner ends of these boxes serve
as a lateral bearing also, being opposed to the faces of the wheel G and eccentric H, or
in the absence of these, suitable collars on the shaft.
In the terminal portions of the shell are placed the cylinders A'A'. which are open
at both ends. These cylinders may be cast as a portion of the shell itself, as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, er mado separately and inserted in the shell, as indicated in Fig. 6.
In practice the latter construction is preferred, the shell being bored straight through,
and the straight cylinders, turned to the proper size, being pressed into place. In this
case the cylinders may be of common cast iron. turned and hored in the usual way, or
sections of drawn steel pipe, which requires no fitting. Such cylinders may be not
only much lighter than those of cast iron, but are more durable, and of course
more easily fitted than the former. To increase their durability they may be case
hardened.
The upper portion of the shell is double, the space between constituting the passages
for the live steam, g, and for the exhaust steam, 4. Suitable pipes communicate with
these passages respectively, at the upper and central portion of tlie shell. The passages
terminate at the ends of the shell, where they are adapted to communicate with the
interior of the heads DD, through suitable openings and therein. The
communication of the steam passages with the head is direct, while that of the exhaust
passage is circuitous, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.
The central portion of the shell, within which the crank revolves, constitutes a
chamber adapted to hold oil, or oil and water, for the lubrication of the working parts
of the engine. In practice we use both oil and water, or what amounts to the saine
thing, allow the products of condensation to pass into this chamber. The surface of
the liquid is preferably kept at a level slightly above the bottom of the crank
mechanism at its lowest point, so that there is comparatively little agitation of the
liquid, and the oil is permitted to remain on the surface of the water. This level is
maintained by means of an overflow pipe n, opening outside of the shell, and having
its lower end near the bottom of the chamber, whoroby water only passes out of it.
Near the end of the lower portion of the shell, other chambers are formed by the
partition A, and these chambers communicate directly with the exhaust passage h.
These chambers are also adapted to hold oil and water, and for the purpose of con-
ducting the same into the central chamber are provided with automatic valves P P.
These are in the nature of simple water cocks, the stem of the plug having an arm
connecting with a float j. The action of the valve will be readily understood. As the
water from the condensation in these chambers rises, the float is carried upward, and
valve opened, as indicated in Fig. 5. Naturally the level of the oil and water in these
chambers will be somewhat higher than in the central one, and in practice the valve
is adjusted to close with the oil and water considerably higher than that in the central
chamber, so that there is no possibility of the exhaust steam being forced through the
valve at any time.
In the heads DD are arranged the steam and exhaust valves and their immediate
connections. For the purpose of illustration we have shown a rotary steam valve of
peculiar construction, adapted to take steam at one end and discharge it through its
sides. We do not wish to be understood, however, as limiting the combination to this
form of valve, since a simple slide valve similar to the exhaust valve L and actuated
similarly will serve for the management of the live steam instead of the rotary valve K
shown. In practice, however, we prefer a rotary valve for the live steam and a slide
valve for the exhaust steam.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4 it will be seen that the valve K is mounted in a
suitable seat D1, formed within the head D. The stem of the valve is provided with
a suitable crank-arm o, as shown in Fig. 5, and by a connecting rod motion is
communicated from a cam or eccentric on the crank-shaft. Evidently the valve may

page_text: be actuated by a simple eccentric in the common and well known manner, but in order
that the valve-rods QQ inay move in lines as nearly straight as possible we prefer to
use the devise illustrated in Fig. 5. Instead of an eccentric, a cam His mounted on
the crank-shaft between two vertical, pivoted arms J J. The upper ends of these arms
are provided with travelers bb adapted to follow the periphery of the cam, and the
arms are pivotally connected with the valve-rods QQ. A spring p tends to draw these
arms together and make the traveler follow the periphery of the cam. The steam
passes from the valve into the cylinder through the apertures g' in the head D.
Below the steam valve is placed the exhaust valve L. The construction of this
device admits of considerable variation, and two forms are shown in the drawing.
The construction illustrated in figures 12 and 3 is preferred, as it admits of the use of
the straight cylinder above described, and also causes the exhaust steam to pass out in
a more circuitous course, thus causing the better deposition in the end chambers
of the shell, of any oil that may be mingled with the steam. The device consists of a
simple slide valve La mounted on the inner face of the head D over the exhaust port h¹.
and pivotally connected with the inwardly extending arm of a bell-crank O mounted
on a suitable pivot in the lower part of the head. A downwardly extending arm
of this bell-crank connects by a suitable rod i with an arm N on a reciprocating
rod M, which is actuated by the crank mechanism near the terminals of the stroke.
In the case of the construction shown in Fig. 1 and 2 the rod M passes through a hole
in the lower part of the yoke cc', and at the proper point the lug c" engages with
the collars on the rod M, and moves the same back and forth. In Fig. 5 the
construction is varied to suit the change in the crank mechanism.
In this case
the exhaust-valves are actuated directly by arms S S mounted on a longitudinal
rod M', which is reciprocated by a bell-crank lever 1, one arm of which is provided
with a traveler impinging on the cam H, and the other passes between collars m m
on said rod. A springy throws the rod in the opposite direction. It will be seen
that the construction in either case is such as to give a sudden opening of
the exhaust port, and that the same remains open until the crank-shaft "has
completed nearly the half of a revolution, thus giving the engine ample and easy
exhaust.
As the exhaust steam passes back into the head D, much of the oil commingled with
it will be deposited in the bottom of said head, and will thence flow into the end
chamber of the shell. From this chamber it is admitted into the central chamber, as
already described.
A modification in the construction of the exhaust valve is shown in Fig. 7. In this
case the cylinder is enlarged at the end and counterbored. In the counterbore is
fitted a ring I with openings in the lower part to admit the end of an arm S and
allow for the escape of steam. Between this ring and the head, which extends into
the cylinder some distance and is suitably offset, is mounted the exhaust valve L.
By making this ring separate from the cylinder it may be removed as it wears out. The
valve has the same movement as the reciprocating rod M, being connected to it by an
arm S.
Within the cylinders, between the inner ends of which the crank revolves, are
placed straight, long, and preferably hollow pistons C C. These are acted upon by
the steam only at the outer ends of course, since the inner ends of the cylinders,
open to the full size of the pistons allows said pistons to pass in and out, and serves
as a guide for the same. These pistons may be connected to the crank by rods, as
shown in Fig. 5, or by a yoke as in Fig. 31 and 2. An improvement in the con-
struction of this yoke mechanism consists in providing means whereby the lost motion
caused by the wear of the travelers F on the crank pin may be taken up, and all
"pounding" of the engine prevented. This 1 accomplish by providing the crank-pin
with two or more travelers, preferably three, and giving these travelers a bearing
only on one side of the yoke, respectively. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that
the middle portion of the half yoke e' is removed and the traveler bears only on the
other side. The travelers F F each side, however, bear against this half of the
yoke, but not against the opposite half, as shown in Fig. 2. By this arrangement it is

page_text: possible to adjust the parts so as to run as tightly as may be desired without specially
increasing the friction. The adjustment is effected by means of a wedge d seated
in one half of the yoke, preferably opposite the central traveler, against the face of
which it bears. The wedge is drawn down by nuts on the lower end, and a spring e
holds in the opposite direction. In practice I make the yoke an integral part of the
piston.
The construction of the engine is such that nearly every part may be finished on the
lathe, the amount of planing being reduced to the minimum. The result of this is to
greatly reduce the cost of manufacture.
It will be understood that when separate cylinders are used in connection with the
shell their sides form 1 part of the wall of the steam passages and of the chambers
described, and thus the operation of boring the shell is made very simple and easy.
A further advantage in using removable cylinders is that when worn they may he
pressed out of the shell and new ones inserted, thus preserving the shell indefinitely.
It will be noticed that the reciprocating rod M in Fig. 1 is below the surface of the
liquid. The effect of this arrangement is to deaden the sound caused by the contact
of the lug with the collars 11.
Though we have shown one device for actuating the steam valve and another for
actuating the exhaust valve, it will be understood that either device may be used in
connection with either valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In an engine of the class described, a shell having cylinders in opposite ends
thereof, lateral beads adapted to close the central portion of the shell, and having
boxes for the crank-shaft, steam passages along the upper portion of said shell, a central
chamber within which the crank and its connections operate and adapted to hold oil,
and chambers near the ends of said shell communicating with exhaust steam passages,
substantially as specified.
2. In an engine substantially as described, a shell having a central chamber
isolated from the steam passages, and adapted to hold oil, and chambers near
the ends communicating with the exhaust steam passages and by a suitable
valve with the central chamber, whereby the oil from the exhaust steam deposited
in said end chambers may be conveyed to the central chamber, substantially as
set forth.
3. In an engine of the class specified, the combination of a shell having a central
chamber adapted to hold oil, and chambers communicating with the exhaust steam
passages and also adapted to hold oil. and a valve substantially as described adapted to be
automatically operated by a float, whereby the surplus oil from the end chambers is
conveyed to the contral chamber as specified.
4. In an engine substantially as described, the combination of a shell having a
central chamber adapted to hold oil, terminal chambers adapted to catch oil from the
exhaust steam, an automatic valve adapted to allow the surplus oil from the terminal
chambers to flow into the central one, and an overflow pipe communicating with the
central chamber and adapted to keep the oil at a uniform level, substantially as set
forth.
5. In an engine, the combination with a shell substantially as described, having
terminal heads with steam valves therein, of a cylinder having an exhaust port in one
side and adjacent to said head, a valve having a convex face fitting the bore of said
cylinder, and adapted to slide reciprocally in the same direction as the piston, a
reciprocating valve-rod connecting with said valve by an arm extending through said
port, and mechanism adapted to actuate said valve-rod, substantially as described
and for the purpose set forth.
6. In an engine, the combination of a crank-shaft having two or more travelers
mounted on the crank-pin, and a piston having a yoke to receive said travelers and
allow for the revolution of the crank, said yoke being adapted to bear on opposite sides

page_text: of the respective travelers, but only on one side of any one traveler, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
7. The combination in an engine, of the crank-shaft having two or more travelers
mounted on its crank-pin, a yoke hearing against said travelers from opposito
sides, but upon only side of any traveler, and having for one of its bearing faces
an adjustable wedge, whereby the lost motion due to wear may be taken up, substantially
as specified.
8. In an engine of the class specified, the combination with a cam or eccentric,
oscillating arms and valves, substantially as described, of a reciprocating rod adapted to
actuate the steam or exhaust valves, said rod being placed below the surface of the oil
or water within the shell of the engine, whereby the sound caused by actuating said
rod is muffled, substantially as set forth.
9. In an engine of the class described, the combination of the valve rods QQ, the
pivoted arms J J having travelers bb, the spring p and the cam or eccentric
mounted on the crank-shaft substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Tand thin 10th day of ML AD 1000
WILLIAM OSCAR WORTH.
JOHN DAVID WORTH.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
WILLIAM OSCAR WORTH.
JOHN DAVID WORTH.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.