Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, JAMES AMBROSE REARDON, of No. 1015, Lucas Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri,
U.S.A., Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention has relation to improvements in steam engines and consists in the
novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specifica-
tion and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings; Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the engine; Fig. 2 is a longi-
tudinal section on line - of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is an end view of the engine;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one end with the driving pulley removed; Fig. 5 is
a detail of the supplemental air cylinder (partly broken away); and Fig. 6 is
a section on line yy of Fig. 1.
The object of my invention is to construct a double acting high-speed engine
which will be compact; one whose operating parts shall be so well balanced as
to insure freedom from vibration; one in which the cut-off is under ready control
of the engineer, the adjustments being readily effected from the outside of the
engine; one whose speed can be adjusted with great nicety; one which will
combine simplicity of construction with a high degree of efficiency; one which
embodies a minimum number of parts; one which will economize steam; one in
which the water of condensation does not interfere with the running of the
engine; one in which the valves are thoroughly balanced; and one presenting
further and other advantages better apparent from a. detailed description of the
engine which is as follows:
Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the steam inlet pipe provided with the
usual throttle valve 2, the base of the pipe communicating through a valve-
port 3 with the interior of an oscillating, substantially cylindrical steam valve 4
provided with diametrically located exit ports 5,5, which communicate with a
semi-circular passage 6 formed in the walls of the cylinder 7, a port 8 leading
from the base of said passage to the interior of the cylinder, and into the space
formed between the adjacent ends of the oppositely reciprocating piston 9 with
which said cylinder is provided. Each piston is connected by a pitman 10 to a
crank disk (or arm) 11 mounted at the center of a sectional drive shaft 12 whose
opposite ends are provided with a driving pulley 13. Each crank disk is mounted
or housed in a boxing 14 cast with or secured to the cylinder, by which arrange-
ment the several parts are protected against access of dirt and dust. Carried by
one section of the shaft 12 at one end of the engine is an eccentric disk 15 which
is loosely embraced by a sectional eccentric ring 16 with one of the sections of
which is formed integrally an arm 17 whose further or opposite end is pivotally
secured to one arm of an oscillating lever 18 pivoted along the outer plane
surface of a casing or bracket 19 carried by the cylinder walls, the opposite arm
of the said lever 18 being pivotally secured to one end of a link 20. Pivotally
secured also to the further end of the arm 17 is a short link 21 whose opposite end
is pivotally connected to the end of one arm of an oscillating lever 181, the opposite

page_text: end or arm of the latter being pivotally connected to one end of a link 20¹. The
opposite end of the link 20 is secured to the free end of an arm 21 connected to
the oscillating exhaust valve 22, and located on the outside of the casing of the
latter. Like the valve 4, the valve 22 is provided with ports 31, 51, 51, the former
communicating with the cylinder, and the latter with a passage G¹. The passage 61
communicates by a port 81 with the exhaust pipe 23. Of course, and as will
presently appear, the valves are so set that as steam is being admitted by the
valve 4 into the cylinder, the exhaust valve shuts off communication between the
cylinder and the pipe 23, and vice versa; while steam is exhausting, no live steam
is admitted, it being understood that the pistons which are driven apart by the
action of the live steam return to their normal positions (as seen in Fig. 2) both by
the momentum of the parts and by the removal of pressure from the cylinder
incident to the exhaust.
The outer projecting end of the axis of oscillation or trunnion of the steam
valve 4 is provided with an arm 24 from whose approximately medial portion
there projects at right angles to the arm proper, a slotted arm or guide-way 25,
adapted to receive and guide, a block 26 to which the adjacent end of the con-
necting link 20 is pivotally secured. Adapted to bear against one end of the
block is the inner end of a controlling screw 27 passed through the terminal wall
of the guide-way; against the opposite face of the block is adapted to bear a
coiled spring 28 confined within the guide-way, the tension of the said spring
being adjusted by a screw 29. The lower end of the arm 24 is provided with a
longitudinal slit 30 within which is adapted to be adjusted the outer end of a
jointed piston rod 31 (the connection being effected by a pin 30' passing through
the slit, the pin being provided with a washer at its opposite end, as best seen
in Fig. 6), the inner end of the piston rod operating through a stuffing box 32
of the supplemental air cylinder 33, the said piston rod controlling and operating
a piston 34 within said cylinder. The peripheral wall of the air cylinder is pro-
vided at each end with an air cock or valve 35, which by screwing to the proper
degree regulates and controls to a nicety the admission into, and escape of air
from, the cylinder during the reciprocation of the piston. The pulleys 13 on each
side of the engine are connected by a connecting rod 36.
Upon the admission of live steam into the space between the pistons 9, the
latter are forced apart, imparting rotation to the pulleys in the direction indicated
by the arrows, the valves 4 and 22 being oscillated simultaneously in the same
direction by reason of the link connections already described, the valve 4 admitting
steam into the steam cylinder for the forcing of the pistons apart, and the valve 22
permitting the exhaust of the steam as the pistons are brought together by the
momentum of the engine From the foregoing description, the connection between
the oscillating arm 24 of the valve 4, and the connecting link 20 is effected
through the medium of the block 26 secured to said link, and through the spring 28
confined within the lateral guide-way 25 forming a part of said 'arm.
nection between the arm 24 and the link 20 therefore is a yielding one, the
The con-
spring 28, however, being sufficiently stiff, and offering sufficient resistance to the
link 20, to enable the latter to oscillate the arm 24 in one direction by pressing
against the spring, and to oscillate it in the reverse direction by drawing on the
block confined within the guide-way. The tension of the spring is preserved and
maintained to the required degree by an adjusting screw 29. It is apparent,
however, by an inspection for example of Fig. 1, that by forcing the controlling
screw 27 against the block 26, the effect would be' (inasmuch as the block is 5
relatively stationary by reason of its connection to the link 20) to draw the
guide-way 25 along the block (to the right of said Fig.1) thereby slightly tilting
or rocking to the right, the arm 24 of which the guide-way forms a part, and thus
shifting the position of the steam valve to which the arm 24 is secured, relatively
to the passage 6 with which the ports of said valve communicate. By thus 5
slightly rocking the steam valve from its normal position, the time of cut-off is
regulated.

page_text: By reason of the slotted connection between the outer end of the piston rod 31
and the lower end of the arm 24, it is apparent that the piston rod may be adjusted
for lengthening or shortening the stroke of the piston 34 in the air cylinder 33.
By regulating the openings controlled by the cocks 35 on either side of the
piston 34, and through which the air can either discharge or re-enter during the
reciprocation of the piston, the operator can regulate the resistance which said
piston offers to the free oscillation of the arm 24, and hence regulate the speed of
the engine, it being understood of course that upon the rapidity of oscillation of
the arm 24, depends the rapidity of oscillation of the steam valve 4. At the
same time, the regulating of the pressure of air in the cylinder 33 through the
medium of the cocks 35 thereof cațises the block 26 to press back the spring 28,
thereby resulting in a shortening of the stroke of the slide valve. The spring 28
will, under all circumstances, take up any jar incident to the action of the parts
with which the arm 24 is associated. The arm 21 is not provided herein with
any controlling mechanism inasmuch as it is desirable that the valve 22 shall
exhaust freely into the atmosphere at all times to prevent any possible back
pressure. But it is within the spirit of this invention to so provide said valve
with a similar controlling device.
It is apparent that by the use of two pistons in one cylinder at all times re-
ciprocating in opposite directions, the parts of the engine will be thoroughly
balanced and the horizontal disposition of the engine as here illustrated is not
necessary, as it would operate if set up on end, or vertically.
So far as the action of the supplemental air cylinder is concerned, it may be
stated that during the reciprocation of the piston 34, the same resistance is
offered thereto with each stroke thereof inasmuch as the cocks or valves 35 are
each adjusted to offer equal passage to the influx of air into, and the efflux of
air from the cylinder. This resistance is constant for any predetermined speed of
the engine, although it can be. varied for different speeds by varying the sizes of
the air openings controlled by the cocks 35. It may be added too, that the
yielding connection between the link 20 and the spring 28 against which the link
bears when moving in one direction (as previously stated in the specification)
does not materially affect the constancy of this resistance for each reciprocation
of said piston, inasmuch as the spring 28 is sufficiently stiff to render the latter
practically unyielding to the resistance offered by the air in the supplemental
cylinder under the ordinary operations of the engine; the spring being, however,
sufficiently yielding to allow for the necessary compression or expansion thereof
(under the action of the controlling screw 27) to set the rock valve for any pre-
determined point of cut-off..
܀
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:
-
1. In a steam engine, a suitable cylinder, a steam pipe communicating therewith,
a valve casing at the juncture of the pipe with the cylinder wall, a rock valve
in said casing, a piston for the cylinder, a drive shaft, a crank disk, carried by the
shaft, a pitman, connecting the disk with the piston, an arm carried by the valve
and disposed along the outside of the casing, intermediate yielding connections
between said arm and drive shaft for regulating the point of cut-off for said valve,
rigid connections between the said arm and drive shaft in connection with the
said yielding connections for rocking the valve during the reciprocation of the
piston, a supplemental air cylinder, a piston for said cylinder, air regulating
cocks carried by the cylinder walls on either side of the piston for offering pre-
determined resistance to the reciprocation of the piston of said supplemental
cylinder, and suitable connections between the rock valve and the piston of the
supplemental cylinder, substantially as set forth.
2. In a steam engine, a suitable cylinder, a steam pipe communicating there-
with, a valve casing at the juncture of the pipe with the cylinder wall, a rock

page_text: valve in said casing, a piston for the cylinder, a drive shaft, a crank disk or arm
carried by the shaft, a pitman connecting the disk with the piston, an arm carried
by the valve and disposed along the outside of the casing thereof, intermediate
connections between said arm and the drive shaft for rocking the valve during
the reciprocation of the piston, a supplemental air cylinder, a piston therefor,
intermediate connections between said piston and rock valve, and suitable valve-
controlled openings disposed on the cylinder walls for offering a predetermined
resistance to the reciprocation of the piston of the supplemental air cylinder and
to the oscillation of the rock valve, whereby the speed of the engine is controlled,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a steam engine, a cylinder, a steam pipe thereinto, a piston reciprocating
within the cylinder, a drive shaft, an exhaust pipe leading from the cylinder,
a valve controlling the steam pipe and a similar valve controlling the exhaust pipe,
an arm carried by each valve along the outside of the casing thereof, and eccen-
tric-controlled arm in connection with the drive shaft, suitable link connections
between the arm and the arm carried by the exhaust valve, an oscillating lever
having one end pivotally secured to the eccentric-controlled arm, a link pivotally
connected to the end of the opposite arm of the oscillating lever, a lateral ex-
tension or guide-way forming a part of the arm carried by the steam valve, a
block mounted in said guide-way and pivotally secured to the opposite end of the
link, a controlling screw for said block, a spring confined within the guide-way
and bearing against the opposite face of the block whereby a yielding connection
is formed between the link and the steam valve, an adjusting screw for the spring,
a supplemental air cylinder carried by the engine, a piston and piston rod therefor,
a slotted connection between the outer end of the piston rod and the arm secured
to the steam valve, air cocks or valves disposed at each end of the air cylinder to
offer any predetermined resistance to the reciprocation of the piston therein, the
parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a steam engine, a suitable cylinder, a steam pipe communicating there-
with, a valve casing at the juncture of the pipe with the cylinder wall, a rock
balance valve in said casing, two oppositely reciprocating pistons in said cylinder,
a drive shaft for each piston, a crank disk carried by each shaft, a pitman con-
necting each disk with its corresponding piston, an arm carried by the valve
and disposed along the outside of the casing, intermediate rigid and yielding con-
nections between said arm and one of the drive shafts adjacent thereto for rocking
the valve during the reciprocation of the piston and for setting the point of cut-
off for said valve, a driving pulley for each drive shaft, and a connecting rod
connecting the pulleys, whereby the same speed is imparted to both drive shafts
simultaneously, substantially as set forth.
041 1
1000
F. WISE HOWORTH
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant."