Improvements in Steam Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Steam Engines.
I, EUSTACE ERNEST WIGZELL, of Billiter House, Billiter Street, London, E.C.,
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 :-
In my improved engine, I place two or more cylinders at right angles to the
crank shaft, and in each cylinder I use two pistons working in opposite directions
to each other, coupled to T shaped or triangular shaped connecting rods, working
on a three throw crank shaft, the bottom pistons being connected to the T or
triangular shaped connecting rod working on the centre crank, and the top pistons
being connected by crossheads, which are coupled by connecting rods on cach side
of the cylinders, to the T or triangular shaped connecting rods working on to the
two outside cranks.
In the drawings annexed hereto, I show in Fig. 1. an elevation of the construction
in my improved manner, of a triple expansion engine, with three cylinders A. B. C.,
placed at right angles to the crank shaft D.
In each of these cylinders I have two pistons E. and E', F. and F¹, and G
and G¹; these pistons work in opposite directions to each other in each cylinder.
The piston rods of the three bottom pistons E. F. and G, shown H. H. H., pass
through stuffing boxes I. I. I. at the bottom of the cylinders, and are connected to
guide blocks J. K. L. The two outside blocks J. and L are joined by short
links M. and N. to a T shaped, triangular shaped, or any convenient shaped,
connecting rod or rods, provided that these two working centres and the centre of
the crank if joined together by a line, would form a triangle.
This connecting rod is shown B' in the drawing, the centres being shown at O. P.
and Q. The centre guide block K. is connected to the connecting rod direct at Q,
and the apex Q of the T or triangular shaped connecting rod B₁ is connected to
the centre crank of a three throw crank shaft as shown at R. in Fig. 2.
The top pistons E F and G' have their piston rods S. S. S. passing through
stuffing boxes T. T. T. in the top cylinder covers, and at the top end of these
piston rods there are crossheads U. V. and W.
3
In Fig. 2. I show a method of opening and closing the admission of steam and
the exhaust. For this purpose I prefer using piston valve as at A2 with three
pistons B2, C3, D3, the valve being shown with the steam passing in at E
in between the two pistons E. and E', whilst the exhaust from the top and
bottom of these pistons is passing cut at F2 F2; but it must be understood that
I do not confine myself to any particular kind of valve, or to any mode of working
the valves, for the inlet and outlet of steam to and from the respective cylinders;
slide valves, or Corliss valves, may for example be substituted for piston valves,
and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.
Fig. 3. shows an elevation of the engine not in section, illustrating the connections
between the top pistons and the two outer T shaped or triangular shaped connecting
rods which work on to the two outside cranks Z. Z. in Fig. 2. The crossheads U.
and W. Fig. 1. are connected by piston rods to the pistons F1 G', they also have
connecting rods H₁ and H2 passing down each side of the cylinders, see Fig. 4.
HH connecting same to the outer centres I¹ and 12 Fig. 3. of the Tor
triangular shaped connecting rods A and A' Fig. 2 thus transmitting the power
from the top pistons to the two outer cranks Z. Z. Fig. 2.
The centre crosshead V. is connected to the centre of the top piston E¹ Fig. 2
by a piston rod, and to each end of this crosshead there are rods, shown X. Fig. 3.

page_text: and X X. Fig. 2. These rods are connected to guide blocks Y. Y. Fig. 2 and Y.
Fig. 3, and thence to the centre of the two outside connecting rods A² A¹ Fig. 2
and A¹ Fig. 3.
In Fig. 3. I also show a method in which the reversing can be carried out. The
drawing shows piston valves B and C, with rods M' M, attached to levers K'K',
with sweeps LL', connected by two rods to eccentrics on the end of shaft D.,
worked in the ordinary manner, or I can use any other suitable reversing gear that
can be adapted.
Fig. 4 shows a cylinder with the top half S¹ made larger in diameter than the
bottom half T¹ for balancing purposes, or for permitting the bottom piston to be
drawn out freely. With the object of reducing the area on the top side of the
piston FI make my piston rod S2 larger in diameter than the bottom piston rod T2,
thus reducing the area of the top space S³ or making it equal to the area of the
bottom space T. The drawing also shows the two rods H1 H2 passing down each
side of the cylinder and connected to the crosshead U.
The advantages of such an engine as described are; perfect equilibrium; the
up and down strains being equalized violent vibrations are overcome; a uniform
power throughout the revolutions of the crank shaft; friction of main bearings
reduced to a minimum; adaptation for high speeds; smaller diameters of cylinders
for any given power; less space occupied; and working parts reduced, a single
triple expansion engine built on my improved principle being equal to six cylinders
each cylinder in my engine practically being double owing to their being two
pistons in each working in opposite directions to each other.
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 improved steam engine substantially as described and shown in the
drawings.
2. In a steam engine the combination of two pistons in each cylinder, such
pistons working in opposite directions to each other, with a connecting rod or rods,
made T shaped or triangular shaped, or in any such way that if the crank centre
and the two outer working centres of the connecting rod or rods were joined
together by a line, it would form a triangle.
3. In a steam engine the use of two or more cylinders placed in a line at right
angles to the crank shaft, each cylinder having two pistons working in opposite
directions to each other, and connected to a T shaped, or triangular shaped
connecting rod, or rods, substantially as described and shown in drawings.
4. A steam engine having two pistons working in each cylinder in opposite
directions to each other, combined with a three throw crank shaft, a central
triangular connection being interposed between the rods of one set of pistons and
the middle crank of said crank shaft, and like triangular connections, together with
connecting rods and crossheads, connecting the rods of the other set of pistons
with the outer cranks of said crank shaft, substantially as hereinbefore specified.
5. In a steam engine having two pistons in each cylinder such pistons working
in opposite directions to each other, combined with a T or triangular shaped
connecting rod or rods, and a three throw crank shaft, the use of cylinders having
their upper half of larger diameter than the lower half substantially as described.
6. In a steam engine as described the use of, for balancing purposes, top piston
rods made of larger diameter than the bottom piston rods, such difference in size
having for its object the reduction of the area on the top of the top pistons
substantially as hereinbefore specified and shown in drawings.
Dated this 24th day of November 1896