Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co., Patent
Agents, of 18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad
by The Prosser Steam Engine Company, of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois,
United States of America, 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 engines, of the class known and designated as piston
or reciprocating engines, a class largely used on railroads, steam vessels, and
for all general purposes wherever large amounts of power are required.
In this class of engines, it is customary to convert the reciprocating motion of
the piston into a rotary motion by the use of a crank through a series of parts
connecting the crank with the piston, namely: a connecting rod with its boxes,
straps, gibs, keys, piston-rod, stuffing-box, cross-head slides and bolts, or through
the use of an eccentric, secured to the engine-shaft, so that the forward movement
of the piston exerts pressure, in a line parallel with the axial line of the piston, on
the periphery of the eccentric, such liue of force being at all times parallel to but
varying in distance from the axial line of the piston in the revolution of the shaft
and eccentric, and such pressure being available for the production of rotary
movement in the shaft only when the line of force is so far to one side of the axial
line of the piston that a measurement from the point of contact of such line of
force with the periphery of the eccentric to the center of the shaft thereof gives
an angle, equal at least to what is known in the art as the slippage angle; and
such line of force varying as described, to one side of the axial line of the piston,
a cross head or other equivalent device is placed on the end of the piston adjacent
to the eccentric to come in contact therewith; these parts being all necessary to
form the connecting link between the piston and crank; are all in constant
operation during the working of the engine; are subjected to all the strains
incident to the speed and pressure of the steam on the piston, requiring the constant
attention of the operator to prevent heating and any derangement of the different
parts while in operation..
By this invention, these difficulties are all obviated, for all of these parts are
done away with, and the loss due to their friction and wear prevented.
As engines of this character may be run at a high rate of speed, gearing in
many cases can be dispensed with, and as this engine is nearly self-contained, its
parts are not exposed to dust or dirt, requiring less oil and attention during their
practical operation, to keep them in order or to clean them when not in use."
The objects of the invention are to obtain a cheaper, more powerful, durable:
engine for general purposes than those now in use, an engine that shall be largely
self-contained, and thoroughly protected from dust and dirt, an engine requiring
less steam, less oil, and less attention for a given amount of work, and a less time
to clean when not in operation, an engine that may be safely run at a high rate of
speed, one that may be used directly on a straight shaft or axle to receive and
transmit the power from an alternating piston by means of wheels, so arranged
as to largely impart the force of action and reaction as received from the piston.
for propelling the shaft or axle, and thus utilize a larger proportion of the power
developed by the heat and steam than the ordinary engines now in use; at the

page_text: same time dispensing with the crank and a large number of working parts
ordinarily used in piston engines as heretofore enumerated, thus saving in first
cost, in oil, and attention. Also in the amount of steam or heat required for a
given amount of power over these now in use.
In an engine embodying the invention a drive wheel is secured to the shaft, and
a transmitter-wheel on the piston, in place of the crank and connecting parts
heretofore used or in place of the eccentric and connecting parts heretofore known.
The drive-wheel, used in the engine embodying my invention must be of such
peripheral shape that the forward movement of the piston and transmitter-wheel
mounted thereon, will produce pressure on the drive-wheel, at the point of contact
of the transmitter-wheel therewith, tending to force such contact-point of the wheel
o one side, that is at right angles to the axial line (and line of movement) of the
piston. By thus connecting the drive-wheel on the main shaft of the engine and
the transmitter-wheel on the piston so that the forward movement of the piston will
at all times force the contact point of the drive-wheel to one side of the path of the
piston, as soon as the point or apex of the drive-wheel has passed by the axial line
of the piston, the forward movement of such piston is as available for the
production of rotatory motion in the shaft of. the engine as at any point in its
forward movement, or (expressed with reference to the drive-wheel) the forward
movement of the piston is as available to produce rotation of the drive-wheel when
the drive-wheel is in one part or portion of its revolution as when in any other part
or portion of its revolution, it being understood that one of the transmitter-wheels
on the piston acts only on one-half of the drive-wheel, when the piston moves in
one direction, and the other transmitter-wheel acts on the other half of the drive-
wheel when the piston moves in the other direction; and too, it can be determined
what the extent of forward movement of the piston shall be to produce a given
amount of rotation to the shaft of the engine; and thereby enabling the disposal of
the forward motion of the piston relative to the side thrust thereof (through the
transmitter) on the drive-wheel that the momentum of such piston is converted
into rotatory force in the engine shaft, when' desired, and the movement of the
piston thereby arrested.
Greater efficiency, for the above and other reasons hereinafter given, is obtained
in an engine embodying the invention than has heretofore been secured in
engines.
To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use the invention, its
construction and operation is described, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1, is a longitudinal elevation of the engine, showing its general outside
appearance;
Figure 2, a longitudinal, vertical section, showing all of its external parts
in section, and most of those on the inside, either on section or elevation;
Figure 3, a longitudinal, horizontal section, part in section and part in elevation,
showing more fully parts before shown only in section.
The following letters represent different parts: A, the central part between the
cylinders; B and B', the cylinders; C and C' the pistons; D, the axle or shaft;
E, the large eccentrical drive-wheel; F and F the small transmitter-wheels;
G and G; the steam-chests; H and H¹, the valves; I, the rods connecting the
pistons.
The following gives a fuller description of the parts represented by letters:
A represents the central portion of the engine; it is constructed in two pieces,
and in such manner as to form bearings for the journal-boxes for the shaft or
axle D, and a cylindrical case for the axle D, and the large wheel E to revolve in.
The ends of A are cylindrical, are turned and counter-bored to receive the steam
cylinders B and B', one on each end. The cylinders are bolted to the flanged ends
of A, and are bored and fitted for the working of the steam-pistons C and C.
One piston is in one cylinder and the other piston is in the other cylinder. Said

page_text: istons are connected together by four rods marked I. These rods serve
кеер
he pistons in unison, so that their motions shall exactly harmonize. Two of the
ods I, pass over the axle and two below the axle, and two of the rods are on one
ide of the eccentrical wheel E, and two róds on the other side of said wheel; by
his arrangement, the pistons are prevented from turning in their respective
ylinders, but are permitted to have a free lateral motion. On the axle or shaft D,
nside of the central portion of the engine A, and between the pistons C and C, is
ocated the large eccentrical drive-wheel E, which is permauently attached to the
yle or shaft D, and causes it to rotate when actuated by the small transmitter
wheels F and F which transfer the force of the piston to the axle through the
eccentrical drive-wheel E. The small transmitter-wheels F and F¹ are attached to
he pistons, and form the connecting link between the pistons and the eccentrical
Brive-wheel E, and through which the power is transferred from the piston to
he axle.
From the drawings and description it will be seen that the central portion of the
engine and the cylinders are constructed in parts, which afford a ready mode of
getting at any of the different parts, and it also affords a simpler mode of con-
struction. But these parts may be all cast in one piece, and the boxes and other
parts inserted, which may be a cheaper mode of construction, and as all of the
working parts are so very durable, it may be but a slight objection on account of
ease of getting at the different parts; and may also be better, for those unskilled
will not be as liable to take them to pieces as they would if it were easily done.
Having constructed the engine, as shown and described, with all parts in working
order, the steam is admitted and a rapid rotation is the result. The rotation being
produced by the transmitters in the longitudinal movement of the piston alternately,
forcing to one side and the other of the axial line of the piston the peripheral point
of the drive-wheel in contact with the transmitters, respectively. But as engines
of this class are very easily controlled, their speed may be regulated as desired.
As this engine has a very large range of speed, it may be adjusted to suit the most
of circumstances with bittle difficulty.
Having now part arly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what nanner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In a steam engine, the combination of a central chamber or compartment
having two oppositely placed cylinders communicating therewith, pistons located
in the cylinders and connected rigidly together, a 'shaft or axle mounted between
the pistons, an eccentrical drive-wheel secured to such shaft, transmitter-wheels
rotatably mounted on the pistons and in contact with the periphery of the eccentrical
drive-wheel, the periphery of such eccentrical drive-wheel shaped so that longitudinal
movement of the pistons will, through the transmitters, exert force on such
periphery at right angles to such longitudinal movements of the pistons tending to
rotate such drive-wheel; substantially as described.
2. In a steam engine, the combination of the main casing or chamber A, the
oppositely placed cylinders B having steam-chests G provided with valves H, the
pistons CC, connected by four rods I, the shaft D having secured thereto an
eccentrical drive-wheel E mounted in the chamber A between the piston-rods, the
transinitter-wheels F F carried by the pistons and arranged to act on the said
eccentrical drive-wheel to rotate the shaft by thrusting to one side of the
longitudinal path of the piston the peripheral point of the eccentrical drive-wheel
in contact with the periphery of the transmitter-wheels, respectively, and connections
between the shaft and valve rods; substantially as described.
3. In a moter having a longitudinally movable and reciprocating piston-rod,
pistons on the ends thereof, means for admitting motor fluid to and exhausting it
from the cylinders of the pistons, and a shaft rotatably mounted between such
cylinders, the combination of a wheel having an eccentrical periphery, secured on
the shaft, with wheels rotatably mounted on the piston-rod and arranged to thrust

page_text: to one side of the path of such wheels the point on the eccentrical-periphery in
contact therewith in the reciprocatory longitudinal movement of the pistons ;
substantially as described..
H. J. HADDAN.