AN IMPROVED MOTOR ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY WATER, STEAM OR OTHER FLUID
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED MOTOR ADAPTED TO BE
ACTUATED BY WATER, STEAM OR OTHER FLUID (a communication from Elijah
Bailey Benham, Engineer of Holyoke, and Henry Bullard Richardson, Manufacturer
of Amherst both in the state of Massachusetts, 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 improvements in motors adapted to be actuated by
either water or steam, the object being to improve, in motors of this class, the.
manner of supporting the oscillating ring to which, the pistons are connected, and
of connecting it with the driving wheel, and of connecting the pistons to the ring;
to arrange in connection with the pistons and cylinders a drain-pipe to carry off
water which leaks by the pistons, and to provide an improved arrangement of inlet
and outlet pipes.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of
a motor embodying the improvements, Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line x, x,
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan-view of the cylinder-disk, showing the valve-seat and
the ports leading to the cylinders. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the valve.
In the drawing, K. is the frame of the machine having the shaft y, supported in
suitable bearings therein, the driving pulley A being fixed on said shaft, and
the crank disk e¹ being secured on the end of the same, said disk having the
crank-pin J.
On the front side of frame K, are hung two other crank-disks e, e, each having
the crank-pin z and adapted to rotate in the same planė as the said disk e¹.
The pistons are arranged in the cylinders as shown, radiating from a common
centre, and each one is provided with a friction-roller as shown, against which the
inner edge of the ring B, bears, and each piston extends beyond said roller nearly
to the periphery of the ring, and a pin or bolt f, in the side of the piston has its
end entering the groove o, in the side of the ring, thereby attaching each piston to
the latter and insuring coinciding movements of pistons and ring and keeping the two
latter from becoming separated when the steam or water is shut off from the motor,
and the wheel A, continues its rotations for a longer or shorter time, simply from
the impetus which it, and machinery connected therewith may have acquired,
720

page_text: The ring B, to which the pistons are attached as aforesaid, is connected directly
with the disks e, e, and e¹, the latter being fixed on the end of the shaft y, and the
former pivoted on the frame of the machine. The crank-pins of said disks pass
through the said ring as shown and the latter is secured thereto by nuts. Thus
the alternate movement of different groups of the pistons give the ring B, a motion
eccentric to the centre of convergence of the pistons, which motion is imparted to
the wheel A through disk e¹, and shaft y, giving said wheel A. its rotary movement,
the disks e, e, turning with disk e.
By connecting the ring B, with the crank-disks e, e, as described, the ring is given
increased steadiness of motion and all dead-centres are obviated in its path of
motion.
For the purpose of keeping that part of the cylinders between the upper side of
the piston-heads and the stuffing boxes, free from water or steam which may escape
past said head, tubular connections v are established between the cylinders b, and
connection is made therewith by a drain pipe x, which discharges into the main
exhaust-pipe E; thus there can be no back-pressure for the pistons to work against.
The valve H, Figure 4, is provided with a solid stem c³ which passes through the
cylinder-disk D, and has attached thereto the crank-arm c. The semi-circular open
end of valve H, bears against the inner face of the cylinder disk D, covering several
of the ports 5, and uncovering the same alternately while it rotates, thus letting
the water or steam act successively upon different groups of the pistons. The
water or steam enters by the pipe F, and the conduit m, into the valve chamber 8,
and passés directly through any uncovered ports 5, into the cylinders, and the ports
of these which are covered by the valve act as discharge passages from the cylinders
whereby they are emptied and their contents are conveyed through the hollow
stem os, of the valve to the discharge-pipe E.
The valve H is rotated by the connection of the bar a, with the crank-arm c, the
ends of said bar being bolted to the ring B.
The pipe d, having an oil cup thereon conducts oil from the latter to the
induction pipe F, for the purpose of lubricating the cylinders and pistons when
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
1. In a motor the crank-disk e', secured to the driving-shaft thereof, the crank-
disks e, e, hung to rotate on the frame of the machine, the ring B attached to a
crank-pin on each of said disks, combined with a series of pistons substantially as
described having a movement in the plane of said ring, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the ring B, of the series of pistons i each having a
positive connection with said ring, substantially as set forth.
3. In combination, the motor having the valve chamber 8, the cylinders b, and
the valve H, the induction conduit m, leading to said chamber from the rear side
of the motor, and the eduction pipe E, connected opposite the rear end of the hollow
stem c³ of said valve, substantially as set forth.
4. The series of cylinders b having the tubular-connections v there-between,
terminating in a common discharge pipe, substantially as set forth.
5. The valve H, having the stem c³ the crank-arm o, and the bar a, combined
with the ring B, substantially as set forth.