Improvements in Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr. 1893—Accepted, 17th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
I, AUGUSTUS KNUDSEN, of 1022 Golden Gate Avenue, in the City and County
of San Francisco, State of California, U.S.A. Civil Engineer, 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 relates to a novel construction for engines propelled by steam or
other vapor, or air, or gas under pressure.
It consists of an arrangement of transversely reciprocating receivers, one moving
within another, and the exterior within a correspondingly shaped case, valves by
which the propelling medium is admitted alternately at opposite ends of the piston
receivers, and a crank and crank shaft through which the reciprocal motion is
converted into a rotary motion, and in certain details of construction which will be
more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which—
Figure 1 is a front view of my engine, the front plate being removed.
Figure 2 is a cross section through y Figure 3 showing two forms of packing.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal horizontal section.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross section.
In the construction of my improved engine I employ steam chambers of a
parallelopipedal form instead of cylindrical, and I have, therefore, termed these
chambers receivers.
It will be manifest that these chambers and the reciprocating pistons may either
be rectangular having their paths at right angles with each other or they may be
arranged in oblique form, and at any relative inclination to each other, and also
that more than two pistons may be employed one within the other, in which case
they would have differential motions, the throw of the crank equalling the stroke of
the outer pistons, and being greater than that of the inner ones. By this con-
struction any interior piston moves the length of its stroke, and when this is
reached, the steam will act upon the outer piston, to complete its stroke.
For the purposes of illustration, I have in the present case shown an exterior
receiver A having within it a reciprocating piston B which in turn serves as a
second receiver and contains within it a reciprocating piston C, this being a practical
form without any of the mechanism which would be necessary with a further
multiplication of pistons.
D is the crank which is formed either by a pin fixed upon a circular disk D¹, or
a pin supported between two such disks D¹ which respectively bear and revolve on
the two opposite sides of the receiver, the inner surfaces being flush with the
corresponding faces of the receiver.
The crank pin thus situated inside the receiver, traverses a piston which is either
fitted with bearings to provide for said pin's particular rotation, or in case of its
being a fixture said bearings E are placed on the disks themselves. In either case
the pin may have a sliding motion or not as occasion may require.
In the present case it is shown as not having such a motion.
The shaft E extends outwardly from the centres of the revolving disks and serves
to transmit power developed by the engine, and also carry eccentrics or cams by
which the valves are moved.
Rotation of the shaft is produced by displacing the pistons simultaneously in two
or more intersecting directions, either by applying steam to the piston in one
direction while it is left free to slide in the other, or preferably by applying steam
to move each piston in each direction.
The outer receiver serves as the guide within which the next interior one

page_text: reciprocates, and this in turn serves as a guide within which the transversely moving
piston or receiver reciprocates within it.
Steam is admitted by means of a valve G moving in a steam chest G' which
performs a circular translation over the ports H by connection with an eccentric I,
or from a pin fixed in the crank cheek.
K, K are radius links connected with opposite angles of the valve, and by this
means the parallelism of the edges of the valve is maintained, during its movements.
L is the admission passage to the steam chest, and E the exhaust.
It will be manifest that steam may be used independently in each of the receivers,
or, if desired, they may be used as compound engines, one of the receivers working
steam at high pressure and delivering it to be used in the other receiver at a lower
pressure, aud the proportions of the receivers and pistons will be made to suit any
required demand, but to reduce parts and avoid complication it is preferable to
employ two of these engines, properly connected so that the steam from one may be
used expansively in the other, either with or without the intermediate receiver as
it is usually employed. In this case the engines should be so placed with reference
to each other that the strokes will be distributed symmetrically about the centre of
rotation.
The packing of these pistons is made of metallic strips of steel or cast iron J
which are of a shape suited to meet the conditions of flexure, and they are slightly
curved outward, as shown, so that when forced into the receivers an amount of
pressure which can be properly calculated will be exerted against the walls thereof
both by the reaction of flexing, and by the compression within the elastic limit
produced at the angles by the straightening of the packing.
In order to allow for expansion of the parts in a jointed packing, I have shown
the packing strips united on the sides by tongue and groove joints which will permit
a movement of the parts upon each other without leakage.
It will be manifest that several of these receivers, with their corresponding
reciprocations, may be arranged one within the other with a suitable arrangement
of valves whereby steam is either transmitted directly to each, or from one to the
other expansively, but the figures which I have here shown illustrate the operation
of two, which would be repeated in any additional number, and I do not show or
claim any special mechanical construction to be used in such a multiplication,
because it is within the mechanical skill of any one skilled in the art, and also
because it is preferable to connect a series of. engines, than to place them all in one
casing.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown the crank shafts K extending through the
outer casing A which is cylindrical, and suitable packing boxes to make tight
joints.
Within the cylinder A is a transversely disposed cylinder B, containing a double
ended piston D which is flattened in the central portion and has a transverse slot
made, through it to receive crank pin F' fixed in the crank G' on the short shafts H³,
and these in turn are connected with the shafts K' by the cranks I' and J¹ of lesser
throw than the cranks G'. The peculiar arrangement of these cranks with relation
to each other allows the piston D³ to reciprocate within the cylinder B while the
latter in turn reciprocates within the outer cylinder A.
Steam is admitted into the outer cylinder through the pipe L' to a space at the
side of the cylinder B, and thence through the ports M by means of the slide
valve N' actuated by an eccentric O' to reciprocate the piston D.
Pare the exhaust valves controlled by the slide valve Q1, also moved by an
eccentric R. The chamber receiving the exhaust acts as receiver from which the
steam is delivered to act expansively against the ends of the movable cylinder B to
reciprocate it within the cylinder A while the piston D' is reciprocated within the
cylinder B. by the high pressure steam.
A valve in the chamber S serves to admit steam to opposite ends of the
cylinder A to act upon the cylinder B.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1st. In a steam engine, an exterior casing or receiver in form of a parallelopipedon,
a second receiver having packing and fitting and reciprocating within the first, one
or more receivers reciprocating transversely to each other within the interior
receiver; a crank shaft and a crank formed thereon and connected with the several
receivers whereby the reciprocation of said receivers produces a rotary motion of
the crank and shaft, substantially as herein described.
2nd. In an engine, an exterior casing, a hollow receiver reciprocating therein, a
second receiver or piston reciprocating within the first one, transversely to its line
of motion, a shaft and a crank pin connected with both of said pistons, a steam
chest with ports for the admission of steam alternately to opposite ends of the piston
chambers, a rectangular valve movable over said ports, an eccentric or cam upon
which the valve is mounted whereby the valve receives a movement of circular
translation over the ports, and radius links connected with opposite angles of the
valve, whereby the edges of the valve maintain their parallelism during its
movements, substantially as herein described.
3rd. In an engine, exterior and inner cylinders, a piston reciprocating within
the inner cylinder while the latter reciprocates at right angles therewith in the
outer cylinder, shafts and cranks so connected therewith that the compound motions
are transmitted to the main shafts, ports and valves to admit high steam to act upon
the inner piston, and ports and valves by which said steam, when exhausted, is
transmitted to act upon the inner reciprocating cylinder substantially as described.
Dated this Seventeenth day of April 1893.
W. E. GEDGE,
Agent.