US16613A - Rotary steam-engine - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. ROOT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,613, dated February 10, 1857.

To all 'wh-0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. Boor, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon. A

The nature of my invention consists, 1st, in making a central stationary hub, made fast to the cylinder head, for the purpose and in the manner as hereinafter described; ind, in making a hollow cylindrical piston, which incloses the central hub,"and friction rollers, and revolves eccentrically around the central hub and rolls upon the inner-surface of the steam cylinder; 3d, in making and arranging a series of friction rollers which roll on, and around the central hub, and upon the inner surface of the steam piston, and upon which the steam piston` rests; 4th, in the construction and combination of a sliding frame self-adjustable boxes, driving ring, and wedge, for the purpose of regulating the bearing of the friction rollers upon the piston and centralhub.

To enable others skilled in the artyto make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure I, represents an end elevationthe loose cylinder head being removed.v

Fig. II, a longitudinal section. Fig. III, plan of cross head and driving shaft. Fig. IV, plan of sliding frame and driving frame ring and boxes.

A, refers to the central hub.

B, refers to the steam cylinder; c, d, e, 7 and g, pairs of friction rollers; D, cut-oH-valve chamber; H, steam piston; z', z', adjustable boxes; J, sliding frame; K, driving rings; L, wedge; m, groove in piston for packing; 11 line of movement of adjustable boxes z', 2'.; o, 0, packing plates for abutment; P, steam pipe; p, opening for steam from abutment to cylinder; r, cut off valve; S, cross head; T, stationary cylinder head; T, loose cylinder head; t, t, pin holes in driving ring to receive the pins t', t, of cross head; V, driving shaft which passes through the central hub; X, friction roller for abutment; Y, exhaust pipe; Z, portion of driving ring K; U, journal box of friction roller axle c; V, one packing plate under abutment.

Letters of the same kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The drawings are made on a scale giving the relative proportions of the several parts, and by observing substantially these proportions, an engine of greater or less power may be constructed as required.

I make my steam cylinder in two parts, of cast iron.

Fig. I, represents an end elevation, with the working parts in relative position the loose cylinder head being removed.

At A, is represented the central hub, and at B, the steam cylinder. The cylinder B, the central hub A, and the cylinder head' T, (Fig. II.) are cast solid together, and when cast may be put into a lathe and the cylinder bored, the hub turned, and the head faced, and thewhole finished up at once, without beingremoved from the lathe, thus obtaining perfect accuracy. The loose cylinder head (T.) is cast separate, and may be faced and connected to the cylinder, by means of a flanch and bolts, in the usual manner. The hub A, extends through the cylinder longitudinally and thus occupies a central postion within the cylinder as represented in Fig. II. The driving shaft V, passes through the central hub, as hereinafter more fully described.

I make live pairs of friction rollers c, 0l, e, f, and g, each pair being attached to its separate axle. Three pairs of these rollers to wit rl, 0,9, roll on the central hub A, e, and f roll on the inner' surface of the steam piston H. The axle of f, rests upon the periphery of 0 and g, and the axle of e, rests upon the eri-v hery of c and d. The axles of e and f, extend through the rollers, so that the ends thereof rest upon the periphery of o, and cause c, to roll once around the central hub, while e and f have rolled once around upon the inner surface of the steam piston H, and the engine made one revolution. The axles of e and f resting and rolling upon the periphery of d, and g, in like manner cause cl, and g, to roll upon the hub A. The axles of (l, and g, are supported by, and run in the adjustable boxes z', z'. The fboxes (2', z',) are supported by the sliding frames J. This frame (J) holds the friction rollers in their places, and revolves with them around the central hub.

The boxes z', z', are made self-adjustable on the sliding frame J, and move upon an angle inclining toward the center' of the hub, represented by the line n. A driving ring K, encompasses the frame J, and the axles of the friction wheels. A portion of the ring drops down as represented at Z, Fig. IV, and rests upon the axle of c, but does not touch the axles of the other rollers. The ring K, the frame J, and the friction rollers, revolve together around the central hub.

The frame J is made to slide up and down in the ring K, and is adjustable by the key or wedge L.

The pressure of the rollers e and f upon the inner surface of the steam piston H, is regulated by the wedge L, and consequently the pressure of the steam piston upon the cylinder is regulated in the same manner. The wedge L, wedges in between the driving ring K, and the sliding frame J. When this wedge is removed, the whole internal work becomes loosened and may be removed at pleasure. When the wedge is forced in the whole internal work is held in its appropriate position.

The action is as follows: The wedge forces up the frame J. This acts upon the boxes z' i and forces the rollers d and g, between the hub A, and the axles of e and f, pressing e and f against the piston H, and the piston against the cylinder B.

My steam piston (H,) is made in the cylindrical form and rolls upon the inner surface of the steam cylinder, B, forming a steam tight oint at its line of contact with the cylinder B, the rollers e, and f holding it against the cylinder as described. In rolling around the inner surface of the cylinder (B) the ends of the piston rub against the cylinder heads T and T', forming a steam tight joint. It is packed in t-he groove m. The friction rollers, the driving ring K, the sliding frame J, all operate' within the steam piston H.

At S, Fig. III, is represented a cross head. This is keyed on to the driving shaft V. The driving 'shfftwtlroufgh the central hub A, as represented in Fig. H. The pins t t, enter the pin holes t, t, (Fig. IV) in the driving ring K. So that the cross head S, and the driving shaft V, must revolve with and in the same direction with the driving ring K.

To prevent friction or rubbing upon the axles of the rollers, the axles of the rollers e and f, must bear the same proportion to the size of the rollers, as the hub does to the circle around which the rollers e and f roll. Steam is admitted through the pipe P, and is allowed to pass behind the abutment N. Sufcient to keep the abutment in contact with the piston H, during the revolution of the piston around the cylinder. lA friction roller is placed under the abutment as represented at X. This roller is so arranged in reference to the abutment, and the steam pressure upon it, that the abutment is nearly balanced upon the roller, whether the abutment is passing out or in; consequently, rubbing friction is mostly avoided and the abutment caused to work freely and easily. A steam passage (represented at L,) is made through the abutment. Steam is admitted into the passage (7L) through the opening (a) and passes into the cylinder through the opening (p) in the direction of the arrows. The steam behind the abutment is sufficient to keep the abutment bearing against the piston while the piston rolls around the cylinder. Thus the abutment separates between the live and the exhaust steam. A cut-off Valve, which is shown at (r) rests upon the abutment within the valve chamber D. The valve (7") is carried by the abutment when moving toward the center of the cylinder across the valve chamber until it strikes the side next to the cylinder, where it stops, and the abutment continues to pass along with the piston until the piston has reached its opposite bearing upon the cylinder and the opening (a) passed under the valve (r) and the steam is cut olf.

After the steam is cut oif, the piston is carried around by the expansive power of the steam within the cylinder and the momentum of the balance wheel and the abutment is forced in so that the valve r, strikes the opposite side of the valve chamber when the valve is stOpped-the'abutment continuing to pass along until the opening (a) has passed from under the valve The abutment continuing to follow the piston and hold its contact with it; at this moment commences its return movement toward the center of the cylinder, and steam is again admitted through the opening (a) and again cut off as before described. Thus the revolution of the engine is completed and continued. When the abutment has passed in; in its return movement, the opening (p) is brought under the packing plate (o) thus preventing any escape of steam. At w, is also shown a packing plate under the abutment. A recess is made, under the abutment from this packing plate to the end, in order to admit steam under the end of the abutment. The obj ect of this, is to preserve a balance of the steam pressure upon the abutment and roller X.

The action of the steam on the piston is toward the centervof the piston. The motion of the piston being eccentric to the hub, and supported upon t-he hub by the friction rollers the power of the steam is exerted upon the piston and rollers in a line forward of the center of the hub. The hub is the grand center of orbital motion of the piston and friction rollers; and hence the arrangement of the rollers with the piston and hub already described, keeps the power of the steam constantly acting upon the piston and rollers, forward of this center.

I claiml. The central hub A, when used as a support for friction rollers, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. I claim the arrangement of friction rollers Within the piston H, upon the central hub A, substantially as herein set forth.

3. I claim the piston H, when used and act-ing upon friction rollers, substantially in the manner herein described.

4. I claim the combination of the sliding frame J, the self-adjustable boxes z', z', the driving ring K, and the Wedge L, for the purpose of regulating the bearing of the friction rollers upon the piston H, and central hub A, substantially as herein set forth.

JOHN B. ROOT.

Vitnesses:

E. B. FoRBUsH, W. H. CUTTER.

Images