Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by JAMES CHURCHILL JOHNSON, of 9, Bancroft Block,
Appleton Street, Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the United States of America,
Brick Manufacturer.]
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of
67, Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :--
This invention relates to air-engines or engines in which motion is obtained by the
pressure of air expanded by heat and consists in the devices and combinations herein-
after described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawing figure 1 is a side elevation of this improved engine,
showing the air-tight air-chamber in central, vertical section, showing also the air-
chest and pipe which connects said chest to the air-chamber, in central, vertical,
longitudinal, section, a part of the frame being broken away to show the air-compressing
pump, a part of which, together with the pipe which connects said pump with the
air-chamber, is in central, vertical section, showing also, in side elevation, a steam-
boiler and the pipes and the battery, battery-circuit and resistances by which the air
in the air-chamber is heated; figure 2, a central, vertical, longitudinal section on the
line in figure 4: figure 3, a vertical section on the line y y in figure 2; figure 4,
a section on the line in figure 1; figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, are plans of the valves,
these figures being arranged in their proper relative position to each other in pairs ;
figures 5 and 6 being in operative position, that is in position to admit air to the
cylinder at the right of the piston, and to allow the air to exhaust at the left of the
piston figures 7 and 8 representing the valves as being in a position to admit
the air at the left of the piston, and to allow the same to be exhausted at the right
of the piston.
=

page_text: A is a steam-boiler, of any usual construction adapted to generate steam for heating
purposes; A', a pipe which leads from the top of said boiler into an air-tight air-
chamber Band nearly to the top of said chamber and then descends in coils a¹ and
passes out through the bottom of said chamber and into the lower end of the boiler A,
to return the water formed by the condensation of steam from the boiler; C, the
frame of an engine similar to a steam-engine; D, a fly-wheel; d, the crank of said
fly-wheel; F, a rod connecting said crank and the piston-rod G, one end of which is
secured to a piston G¹ adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder H, substantially like the
cylinder of a steam-engine, and provided with inlet-ports hh, which connect said
cylinder with an air-chest E, said air-chest being connected by the pipe B to the
air-chamber B. Said cylinder H is also provided with outlet-ports h³, through
which the air in the cylinder is allowed to escape alternately from one side and the
other of the piston.
Above and below the cylinder H are arranged inlet-valves and outlet-valves I and I',
respectively, each of these valves being substantially of the same shape, as shown in
figures 58. Each of these valves consists of a plate pivoted at the middle at ii,
and provided near its end with two holes, so arranged that in turning such valve,
only one of its openings will be over a port of the cylinder at the same time. One
edge of the plate ii is provided with two inclines and a cam J J (two like cams
being shown, one to operate the inlet-valve I and arranged in the air-chest E above
the cylinder, and the other arranged below said cylinder, and each being operated
by like means) having double inclined faces jj, is caused to reciprocate lengthwise
of the cylinder and to come into contact with the inclines of the valve, said cain being
connected to a cross-head g on the piston-rod G by a valve-rod 2. The upper
valve-rod slides in an air-tight bearing in the air-chest. It is obvious that when the
crank dis in the position shown in figure 1 the valves II' will be in the position,
respectively, shown in figures 5 and 6, that is, the air from the air-chamber B will be
admitted to the right of the piston, the upper right hand port h¹ being open and the
left hand inlet-port h being closed while the right hand outlet-port h³ will be closed to
prevent the escape of air at the right of the piston, and the lower outlet-port /³, at the
left, will be open to allow the air in front of the piston or at the left of the same to
exhaust. The valves above described are almost instantaneous in their operation, and
their position, relatively to each other, are of course reversed when the crank d points
horizontally to the left in figure 1. Unless additional air were supplied to the air-
chamber B, the pressure of the air in said chamber would eventually become so slight
as to be ineffectual to move the engine.
To keep up the supply of air in the air-chamber B, I use an air-pump K, the same
being a cylinder k, fitted with a piston or plunger ¹ connected by a rod k² to the
cross-head g and therefore reciprocated in the pump-cylinder k, as the piston is
reciprocated in the cylinder H. In figure 1 the plunger is represented at its
greatest distance from the discharge-end or left hand of the pump. The right end of
the pump barrel is open and the plunger is provided with a longitudinal opening k³
leading through the same and with a valve k which covers the left ond of the same.
When the plunger is moving to the left the pressure of the air in front of the plunger
closes the valve k, and the air in front of the plunger is condensed between the
plunger and an outwardly-opening valve . The left end of the pump-barrel is
connected by a pipe b to the air-chamber B and the pressure of the air within said
chamber and pipe keeps the valve k normally closed, the spring merely serving
to keep said last named valve in position.
When the pressure of the air in the pump-barrel is greater than the pressure of the
air in the chainber B, the valve is opened and allows the pump-barrel to discharge
into said chamber. On the return stroke the valve is closed by the pressure of the
air in the chamber B and the outer air rushes through the plunger k¹ to fill the partial
vacuum produced in the pump-barrel. The chamber B is provided with a safety-
valve L of any usual construction to relieve the pressure within the cylinder B when
the same becomes too great for the strength of said chamber.
An additional means of heating the air within the air-chamber B, pipe B', air-

page_text: chest E, is shown in figure 1, the same consisting of a battery S or other generator
of electricity, the opposite poles of which are connected by a suitable conductor T,
said conductor passing from the lower part of the air-chamber B to the top of the
same and through the air-pipe B' and into and through the side of the air-chest E
and being insulated within these parts by glass tubing T' in an obvious manner, said
conductor having introduced into it, at intervals, resistances R or bodies having a less
degree of conductivity than said conductor, so that when a current is sent over the
conductor these resistances will become heated and raise the temperaturo of the air
within said chamber, pipe and air-chest.
The resistances R may consist of carbon pencils.
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. The combination of the air-tight air-chamber, a steam-boiler, a steam-circulation
pipe, one end of which is connected to the top of said boiler and the other end of
which is connected to said boiler near the bottom of the same and which pipo,
between its ends is coiled within said chamber, to conduct steam from said boiler
into said chamber and to return the water condensing from said steam to said boilor,
to heat the air within said chamber and thereby to increase the pressure of said air, as
and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination of the cylinder, provided with two ports, the valve provided
with two openings arranged to allow of but one of said openings being over one of
said ports at the same time, said valves being pivoted between said ports and having
an edge provided with an incline near each end thereof and a cam provided with two
inclined surfaces and adapted, when reciprocated lengthwise of said cylinder,
alternately to strike the one and the other of said inclines of said valve and thereby
alternately to open one and the other of said ports, as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of the cylinder, provided with two ports, the valve, provided
with two openings arranged to allow but one of said openings to be over one of said
ports, and to allow said valve to close both of said ports, said valve being pivoted
between said ports and having an edge provided with an incline near each end thereof,
and a cam, provided with two inclined surfaces, and adapted when reciprocated length-
wise of said cylinder, to strike the one and the other of said inclines of said valve
and thereby alternately to close one and the other of said ports and, immediately
thereafter, to open one and the other of said ports, as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination of the cylinder provided with two ports, the valve, provided
with two openings arranged to allow one of said openings being over one of said
ports while the other of said ports is closed by said valve, said valve being pivoted
between said ports and having an edge provided with an incline near each end thereof
and an uninclined part between each of said inclines and the adjacent end of said valve,
and a cam provided with two inclined surfaces and adapted. when reciprocated
lengthwise of said cylinder, alternately to strike the one and the other of the inclines
of said valve, and to open one and the other of the inclines of said valve, and to open
one and close the other of said ports by the turning of said valve and to hold said
valve from returning to its position until the return movement of said cam, as and for
the purpose specified.
5. The combination of the cylinder, the piston fitting the interior of said cylinder
and provided with piston-rods, a cross-head secured to said piston-rod, said cylinder
having an inlet-port and an outlet port at each end thereof, both of the inlet-ports
being in the same side of said cylinder, and both of said outlet-ports being in the
sane side of said cylinder with each other, a valve, pivoted on said cylinder between
said inlet-ports and extending over said ports, another valve pivoted between said
outlet-ports and extending over said last named ports, each of said valves being
provided with two openings arranged as described, and each of said valves being
provided with an edge having inclines, two cams each having double inclines, and
adapted when reciprocated lengthwise of said cylinder to strike the inclines of said
valves, respectively, and to turn the same upon their pivots, rods connecting said cams

page_text: and said cross-head, said cams and valves being so arranged, with relation to each
other, that when one of the ports on the same side of the cylinder is open the other
will be closed, and that when one of said ports is open the other port at the same
end of the cylinder shall be closed, as and for the purpose specified.
6. The combination of the air-tight hot-air chamber, a steam-boiler, a steam-
circulation-pipe leading from said boiler into said chamber and returning to said
boiler to heat the air within said chamber by the circulation of steam through said
pipe, a hollow cylinder, a piston fitting the interior of said cylinder and provided with
a piston rod, a cross-head secured to said piston-rod, an air-chest on said cylinder,
said cylinder having inlet-ports at each end thereof leading from said air-chest to the
interior of said cylinder and having outlet-ports at each end thereof, a valve pivoted
on said cylinder between said inlet-ports and extending over said ports, another valve
pivoted between said outlet-ports and extending over the same, each of said valves
being provided with two openings arranged as described, each of said valves being
provided with an edge having two inclines, two cams, each having double inclines, and
adapted when reciprocated lengthwise of said cylinder, to strike the inclines of said
valves, respectively, and to turn the same upon their pivot, rods connecting said cams
and said cross-head, said cams and valves and the openings in said valves being
arranged with reference to each other to open said inlet-valves alternately with each
other, and to close each of said outlet-valves when the inlet-valve at the same end of
the cylinder is opened, as and for the purpose specified.
7. The combination of the air-tight hot-air-chamber, the air-chest, the air-pipe
connecting said chamber and chest, the cylinder provided with outlet and inlet ports
and valves, substantially as described, the piston and the piston-rod, a cross-head
secured to said piston-rod, the air-compressing pump, a pipe connecting the discharge
end of said pump and said hot-air-chamber, the plunger of said pump being connected
to said cross-head, said plunger being provided with a valve opening towards the
discharge end of said pump, another valve closing the discharge-end of said pump
and normally shut by the pressure of the air within said hot-air chamber, but adapted
to be opened by the pressure of the air within the barrel of said pump when said air
within said barrel is compressed sufficiently to supply air to said air-chamber, at each
complete stroke of the piston, as and for the purpose specified.
DL: 1711
A D
1000