Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, ENOS HABRON JOHNSON, of 46 and 48 South Canal Street, in the City of
Chicago, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America,
Mechanical 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 single acting engine which takes up its own wear
and having double trunk pistons which run without compression, and double
balanced valves.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation with some parts removed, taken on the line of
the main shaft, the latter being shown in broken elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the engine without the base, the shaft broken away
and the steam inlet showing in section.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a broken sectional elevation on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, looking
towards the centre of the engine.
Figure 6 is a perspective view in detail of an adjustable sleeve bearing.
Figure 7 is a detail view in perspective of one of the valves; and
Figure 8 is a similar view of a sleeve in which the valve works.
In constructing the engine, I prefer to cast integrally the cylinder, valve cham-
ber and exhaust chamber walls and a steam passage, the exhaust chamber having
openings on its side, opposite the shaft bearing, and on its top, which openings are
covered by removable cap plates to permit access to the working parts.
A indicates the piston chambers and B the valve chambers and C a steam
passage which is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 and extends the entire
length of the casting and passes through an enlargement formed interiorly of the
exhaust chamber D, as shown in Figure 1. This passage is tapped at two places
through the top of the exhaust chamber and in one of the openings a pipe E for
the admission of steam is fitted, the other opening being closed by a plug F. The
ends of the piston and valve chambers are closed by the caps G. The main
casting has opposite the exhaust chamber a lateral bearing H in which is removably
held an adjustable sleeve bearing H having a liner w the said sleeve being slit
longitudinally and the opening in. which can be closed as the bearing wears, by
means of the set screws h¹.
I represents the crank shaft, and i its crank pin. J, J represent the pistons, and
K the piston rods. These rods have parti-circular bearings at their forward ends upon
the crank pin and at their rear ends upon the piston pins j. The piston rods
are held to their bearings by means of the yoke L, yoke strap L' spring M and
yoke M', which has a parti-circular bearing m upon the piston pin. The outer end
of the spring M is secured to the yoke M¹. The spring exerts a constant tension
which maintains the inner bearings in close contact with the crank pin and the
outer bearing m upon the piston pin.
By reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that I employ a second spring N which
has one end adjustably secured to the piston rod and the other to a yoke similar
in construction to the yoke Mpreviously described. The arms of yoke L and the
bolts which secure the spring N to the piston rod have nuts n turned upon their
threaded ends, and springs O are confined against the flat sides of the nuts so as to

page_text: permit the latter to be turned and at the same time serve as a lock to prevent their
turning in use.
P represents the valves, the form of which is shown in detail in Figure 7. Said
valves are hollow and have valve pins p therein to which are connected the valve
rods which have parti-circular bearings upon a crank pin R which is secured
to the valve crank S which in turn is secured to the main crank pin i. The
diameter of the valve is reduced toward its outer end and the reduced portion
thereof is provided with the exhaust port p', and works within the sleeve T which
is fitted to the bore of the valve chamber.
The purpose of employing this sleeve is to enable the accurate location of the
steam port with reference to the centre of the engine, which could not be so well
accomplished if said port were formed in the main casting, owing to the liability
of the latter to vary in length. The surface exposed to steam pressure is also
thereby reduced aud strain on the valve rod cranks is lessened.
The sleeve T has the inlet aperture T¹ which registers with the end of the
steam channel C. There is therefore, constant steam pressure upon the outer ends
of the valves, and the latter are thus maintained in proper bearing contact with
their crank and valve pins. The valves are, therefore, evenly and perfectly
balanced as the steam pressure is uniform upon each. The sleeve T is also
provided with an annular port, the outlet of which port is represented at t and
registers with the port a in the division wall between the piston and valve cham-
bers. The exhaust chamber D has the exhaust opening D₁ to which is fitted
exhaust pipe U, and this pipe carries the condenser V which will effect the
condensation of the exhaust steam and return the water and oil carried thereby to
the exhaust chamber in which the water and oil will accumulate so that the piston,
valves and all the bearings will be constantly lubricated.
The cylindrical extension H has fitted to its outer end a gland or stuffing box /
upon the crank shaft, and by the removal of this gland the sleeve H' can be
removed when it becomes so much worn as to require re-lining. The purpose of
the gland is to prevent the escape of oil or water from the exhaust chamber. All
of the wearing parts of the several bearings are lined with Babbitt metal as shown
by the heavy shade lines in the drawings, and the lined joints are marked W.
The operation of the engine will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The
reciprocations of the pistons alternate in their working and back strokes, and the
movements of the valves are also alternate. The engine is mounted transversely
upon the stand X which also supports at its opposite end a bearing Y for the
shaft, thus providing a self-containing engine, or one which is mounted wholly upon
one base.
I will briefly refer to the working cycle of the engine, calling particular atten-
tion to Figure 4. The piston shown at the bottom of the figure is approaching or
at the limit of its working stroke while the other piston is completing its return
stroke. In this position the first named piston is working under expansion, the
valve having cut off the steam.. Upon the commencement of the return stroke
the valve will move so as to cause the port therein to register with the port in
the sleeve and in the division wall between the valve and piston chamber thus
permitting the exhaust to pass through said ports and through the valve into
the exhaust chamber.. The parts are so arranged that the exhaust port will be
opened wide almost immediately the piston has commenced its return stroke, the
action of the valve being quick and the exhaust of the steam being rapid, and the
movement of the valve being so timed as to cut off the exhaust as the piston.
completes its back stroke, thus leaving the valve in proper position to open the
steam port to the piston chamber for the next outward movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I déclare that what
claim is
1. In a multiple cylinder engine the combination, with piston rods, having: nartis

page_text: circular bearings upon the same crank pin, of a yoke for said bearings and a spring
connecting said yoke and one of the piston rods whereby to take up the wear of
the bearings, substantially as described.
2. In a multiple cylinder engine, the combination with piston rods having parti-
circular bearings upon the same crank pin and divided bearings upon their piston
pins, of yokes for said bearings and springs connecting said yokes whereby to take
up wear of said bearings, substantially as described.
3. In a multiple cylinder engine, the combination with piston rods having parti-
circular bearings upon the same crank pin and divided bearings upon their piston
pins, of yokes for said bearings, a tension spring connecting the yoke for the crank
pin bearings with one, of the yokes for the piston pin bearings and the yoke for the
other of said piston pin bearings being connected to its piston rod by a tension
spring, substantially as described.
4. A multiple cylinder engine having a central exhaust chamber and piston
chambers on opposite sides thereof, valve chambers at the sides of said piston
chambers, a steam passage communicating with the outer ends of the valve
chambers, and said exhaust chamber, piston and valve chambers and said passage
being provided in the same casting which has also a lateral extension to form a
bearing for the crank shaft, substantially as described.
5. A multiple cylinder steam engine having a central exhaust chamber and
piston chambers on opposite sides thereof, valve chambers at the sides of said
piston chambers, a steam passage communicating with the outer ends of the valve
chambers, and said exhaust chamber, piston and valve chambers and said passage
being provided in the same casting, said castings having openings at the outer ends
of the piston and valve chambers and at the top and one side of its exhaust
chamber and caps fitted over said openings, substantially as described.
6. In an engine of the class described, the combination with a hollow valve
having a port therein, of a sleeve in which said valve works, said sleeve having a
port to register with that of the valve and an inlet port to receive the steam,
substantially as described.
7. In an engine of the class described the combination with the steam cylinders
and their pistons, of valve cylinders and a port or passage for admitting steam
from the valve chamber to the piston chamber, a sleeve fitted in the outer end of
the valve chamber and having a port to receive steam and a second port to register
with the port between the valve and piston chambers, and a hollow valve working
within said sleeve and having a port therein adapted to control the admission of
steam to the piston chambers, substantially as described.
8. In an engine of the class described, the combination with a main casting
having a central exhaust chamber and piston and valve chambers therein said
casting having a lateral cylindric extension to form a bearing for the crank
shaft, a slotted sleeve fitted to the bearing, and means for tightening said sleeve
upon its shaft to compensate for wear, substantially as described.
9. An engine of the class described having a central exhaust chamber and
hollow valves to permit the exhaust steam to enter said chamber, an exhaust port
in the top wall of the exhaust chamber and a condenser applied to said port
whereby to return the water of condensation and lubricant held in suspension
therein to the chamber, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of January 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.