US678495A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 678,495. Patented July [6, I901.

J. KEITH.

ROTARY ENGINE. (Application 51mm. 8, 1901.

(No Model.)

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JONATHAN KEITH, OF QOOKVILLE, TEXAS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

EEEGIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,495, dated July 1 6, 1901. Application filed March 8, 1901. $erial No- 50,356. (No model.

provide a simple and efficient construction of engine including two parallel series of pistonheads'and wherein steam will be supplied to the heads of each series alternately.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the engine and illustrating the arrangement of the cut-off mechanism. Fig. 2 is a section through the valve-chamber or steamchest and showing the location of one of the abutments. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the rotatable piston of the engine, a part thereof being broken away to more clearly show the structure thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, the engine comprisesacylinder 5,havinga suitable base 6, and in the heads 7 and 8 of which are formed bearings 9 and 10, in which is disposed the shaft 11 of the engine, provided at one end with a band-wheel 12 or other suitable means for taking power therefrom.

From the inner face of the shell of the cylinder and midwayof the ends thereof is formed an inwardly-directed annular flange 13, and the piston of the engine comprises two outer disks 14 and 15, which lie at opposite sides of this flange and an intermediate disk 16, which lies in the plane of the flange, and fits snugly against the inner edge thereof. The disks 14 and 15 fit snugly between the flange 13 and the heads of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In the edge of each of the disks 14 and 15 and at diametrically opposite points thereof are recesses, one wall 17 of each of which lies diametrically of the disk and forms a pressure-receiving pistonhead, and from the base of this wall the other wall 18 of the recess is convex and curves outwardly gradually to the periphery of the disk at a point ninety degrees from the wall 17. There are in the present instance two of these recesses, and the two disks 14 and 15 are so disposed that the walls 17 of the two disks are spaced ninety degrees apart. Thus if steam be supplied to the wall 17 that is, a piston-headof one disk and then to the succeeding head of the other disk, and so on throughout the rotation of the piston, there will be four applications of steam for the one rotation of the pistontwo to each disk. To thus supply steam to the separate heads, a valve mechanism is provided, which will be presently explained. In connection with each disk 14 and 15 there is provided a pivoted abutment in the form of a wing 20 and 21, respectively, which operate in chambers 22 and 23, formed by widening the interspaces between the flange 13 and the heads of the cylinder, and which chambers also extend into the inner face of the cylinder-shell, and in the latter portions of the chambers are disposed the pivot-rods 24 and 25, on which the wings are hung, so their lower edges may rest upon the peripheries of their respective disks l4 and 15. The faces of the heads 17 are all disposed in the same direction rotatably of the piston, and as the piston rotates the wings or abutments ride along the peripheries of their respective disks and drop from the upper edges of the heads 17 against the walls 18, along which they ride and are gradually raised to the peripheries of their respective disks.

Upon the cylinder 5 and at the upper side thereof is disposed a steam-chest26,and opening from this chest through the shell of the cylinder are two ports 27 and 28 for-feeding steam into the cylinder, these ports being disposed beyond the abutments, so that steam will be supplied between the abutments and the piston-heads to rotate the piston. To open and close the ports interchangeably, so that there will be a proper delivery of steam to the cylinder, a slide-valve 29 is provided in the steam-chest, and which valve must of course make two reciprocations for each ro tation of the piston, and to give these two reciprocations a disk 30 is fixed upon the piston-shaft and has a cam-groove 31 therein, in which is engaged a roller 32 at the end of two disks alternately and that'the ahutments will rise and fall to codperate with the piston-heads, and atapoint somewhat more than *ninetydegrees from the steam-chest in the direction of rotation of the piston is an exhanst'pipe 40, which communicates with the i cylinderat both sides of the flange hat is'claimed'is I 1 1. 'A rotary engine comprisinga cylinder havingacentralinwardly-directed flange and a steam chest communicating with thecompartments at opposite sides of the'partition, a piston disposed in the cylinder and including spaced disks lyingin the separate compart-v ments and projecting beyond the inner periphery of the flange and an intermediate disk in close contact with the inner periphery of Y the flange, the firstnamed disks havingheads disposed in staggered relation, and a pivoted ahutmentin each compartment in operative relation to the disks therein. I

2. A rotary'engine comprising acylinder having a centralin wardly-directed flange and a steam-chest communicating with the compartments at opposite sides thereof,a piston disposed in the cylinder and comprising a central diskin close contact with the inner periphery of the flange and outer disks lying 'with'their outer portionsbetween thefiange and the ends of the cylinder, said last-named disks having heads disposed in staggered relation, a pivoted abutment in each comparte, e

ment in operative relation to the disk there-' in, a valve in the steam-chest for directing steam to the compartments alternately, and

connections between the piston'and valve for operating the latter. t

' In testimony;thatlclaimthe foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JONATHAN KEITH.

lVitnesses:

W. O. TRAYLOR, J. E. TAYLOR.

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