US473437A - reag-an - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) A3Shee1:sSh=:et 1, H. G. REAGAN, Jr. GOMPOUND LOCOMOTIYE.

Patented Api. 19, 1892.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H. 0. RBAGAN, Jr. GOMPOUND LOGOMOTIVE.

l Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 sheefs-sheet 3. H. C. RBAGAN, J1. GOMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.

Patented Apr., 19, 1892.

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T m www UNITED STAT-Es PATENT @Erica HARRY c. REAcAN, JR., or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AsSIeNoR or Two-THIRDS To'EDwARD F. PEAcocK, oE SAME PLACE, AND THOMAS PRAY, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMPOUND LOCOMOT'IVE'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ilatent No. 473,437, dated April 19, 1892.

Application tiled June 30, 1891. 'Serial No. 397.988. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HARRY C. REAGAN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound Locomotives; and I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ot' this specification.

My invention relates to compound steamengines; and its object is to improve the efficiency of such engines by the construction and arrangement hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated myinvention as embodied in a locomotive; but it is applicable to stationary or marine engines, as will be plainly understood. I provide the engine with three cylinders, two of which are high-pressure and thethird a low-pressure cylinder, the diameter of the latter being greater than that of the high-pressure cylinders. Steam is admitted to the high-pressure cylinders, in which itis divided into two portions by means of an annular piston or otherwise, as'hereinafter described. The exhaust-passages are so contrived that one portion of steam goes directly to the exhaust-nozzle, while the other portion is conducted to the steam-chest of the lowpressure cylinder, and after further expanpressure steam operating to create a vacuum in the low-pressure cylinder.

In the drawings, Figure l is a crosssection of a locomotive, showing the three cylinders and other parts. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the high-pressure cylinder shown at the right of Fig. l, taken on line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a plan of the valve-seat of the same cylinder. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the saine cylinder on line 4 4. Fig. 5 is a front View of the cylinder, the low-pressure cylinder, and lthe saddle. Fig. 6 isaside sectional elevation of the truck and the low-pressure cylinder. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the valve-motion for the low-pressure cylinder. Fig. 8 is a detail cross-section on line 8 8, Fig.

7. Figs. 9 and 10 show modified arrangements of the cylinders.

The reference-letter A indicates the smokebox of the boiler, containing the two steampipes d, which lead to the live-steam passages c, connected with the steam-chests of the high-pressure cylinders B by the usual receiving-ports c2. The steam-chests each contain a slide-valve C, Which differs from the ordinary slide-valve in having a longitudi- `nal partition c, dividing it into two comvpartments c c2. The valve is operated by outer end of each shell a packing-ring d is sprung into a groove, to make a `steam-tight joint between the shell and the walls of an annular well, in which it reciprocates with the movements of the piston. These wells b are formed in annular projections B B2 on the cylinder-heads. The depth of the wells and length of the Shells is greater than the stroke of the piston, so that the shells never leave the wells. The shells thus divide the interior of the cylinder into two concentric compartments o b2 on each side of the piston.

Upon reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the steam-ports are divided in two by a partition; or, in other Words, there are two distinct and separate Steam-ports E E at each end of the valve-seat. Theexhaust-port F F is similarly divided, and the partition cin the valve is arranged to lie along the partitions dividing the ports. The effect is as though there were two separate valve-seats and two separate Valves side by. side. The outer set of ports-z'. e., those lying farthest from vthe center of the engine-conduct the steam, preferably, to and from the outer compartment o of the cylinder, while the inner set preferably control the flow of steam to the inner compartment b2. The outer Steam-passages c are cast,

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as usual, in the walls of the cylinder. The inner steam-passages e are connected with passages e2, cored out in ribs b3, which run out around the annular projections B B2 on the cylinder-heads and back into said heads, as shown. The passages e open into the outer compartment b', and the passagese e2 into the inner compartment h2 of the cylinder. The live steam passes into both compartments ZJ b2 when the valve uncovers the ports E E; but when the exhaust takes place the steam from the outer compartnientionly'is allowed to go direct to the nozzle G, which it reaches through the passage f. The exhaust from the inner compartment b2 is led to the passage f which conducts it to the receiving-ports h at the ends of the steam-chest H of the lowpressure cylinder I. The valve K of the lowpressiire cylinder isa common slide-valve, which directs the exhaustfsteam into the pass sage h', leading to the low-pressure.exhaustnozzle G'. The construction of this nozzle is an important feature ofV my invention. The lower portion is conical and `has two opposite openings to connect with the liigh-pressure exhaust-passages f. The low-pressurenozzle G projects up centrally inside of this cone, and between it. and the walls of the cone `are dianietricallyopposite webs, g, preferably curved as shown. The high-pressure exhauststeam entering from eachv side is directed upwardby these webs, a lip g aiding to guide the blast of steam diagonally across the cone, so as to surround the nozzle G. 'Iheaction of the high-pressure blast on the low-pressu re nozzle is similar to an ejector, andvcreat-es a vacuum behind the low-pressure i piston, which materially increases its efficiency.

The low-pressuie cylinder Iis provided with flanges c', by. means of which it is secured to the bottom of the saddle L, the ends ofiwhch are cut out to fit over the ends of the valve-seat oflthe low-.pressure cylinder, assliown in Fig. 5. The heads of this cylinder have wide semicylindrical flangesi, overlapping the saddle and bolted thereto. A plate. i2 may be cast upon the under side of the cylinder, to which is fastened tliecenterpin M,which is mounted in asuitable center plate M on the truck. The two high-pressure pistons are connected with their cranks by theordinary rods,`the cranks being set quartering, as usual.Y The valve-rods are operated by any suitable valvemotion, preferably the common link.. rlllie crankof the low-pressure cylinder is setopposite to that of one of the high-.pressure cylinders. To avoid` complicating the valvegear, I prefer to operate the valve-rod K of the low-pressure cylinder by a lever N, fulcrumed at some suitable point on the frame and taking its motion from the valverod of. the cylinder which has its crank set at one hundred and eighty degrees with that of the low-pressure cylinder. I prefer the arrange.- inent shown in Fig. 2, in which the high-pressure valve-rod C has a stud c3, on which is pivoted a block c4. The end of the lever N is forked to straddle the block, so that the block can slide in the fork as the rod'reciprocates. The lever is fulcrumed on a stud n, secured to a girt O, bolted at each end to the frame. The inner end of the lever is bifurcated both vertically and horizontally, as shown. 'llie dow-pressure valve-rod P has a U-shaped section p, which lies between the upper and lower forks n n2 of the lever'and corresponds therewith in shape. A block is slipped into the jaws ofthe three forks and thus unites them, so that the vibrations of the lever N impart reciprocating movements to the low-pressure rod l synchronously with but directly oppo- Isite to those of the high-pressure rod C.

i I prefer to so arrange the parts as to make it possible to vary the relative points of cutoff of the high-pressure and"low' pressure valves. To this end I` construct the block which unites the `forks as follows: A square base Q fits the lower fork n2 of the lever, having d flange q. Afroundstud q rises from the base, andupon it are fitted the pieces `q2 (13, theformer filling the space between the studaaiid the `fork 1J, and the latter thespace within-the fork n of, the lever. The `piece q' has a flange to'rest on the upper surface of the fork n. The block thus made up is received between the iipperandlower jaws of a fork l1^,.formedat the end ofa link R, which extends in line with the lever N, and is jointed to one end of abellfcrankS, fulcrumed'on a pin s,.carried by a bracket s bolted to the girt O. To the other end ofthe lever S is attaclieda rod S', whichruns to the cab. By operating this rod the engineer can slide the block `in orout of the forks n p n2, and thereby alter the effective length of the inner arm of the-lever N, thus cliangingthe travel of the low-pressure valve to compensate for differences in the travel ofV the high-pressure rod orfor other purposes.

Insteadof arranging the two compartments for highpressurev steam concentrically, as hereinbefore described, Lmay place the compartments side by side or one above the other. This may be readily accomplished by using two ordinary cylinders andpistons, as shown in Fig. 9.

The double valve f abovedescribed can be used to admit the steam simultaneously to both cylinders and to sendthe exhaust from one of them to the nozzleand from the other to the low-pressure cylinder. I may also use two low-pressure cylinders, one on each side of the engine, as shown in Fig. 10, Withtwo high-pressure cylinders adjacent thereto, one of which exhausts into the low-pressure cylinder.

In Fig. Qtherods of both the high-pressure cylindersA would be connected with one cross-head, while in Fig. 10 the same crosshead` would serve for all threecylinders.

It is evident that` my arrangement of nozzles can be applied to ordinary locomotives, the exhaust from one cylinder operating to create a vacuum in the other.

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Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is-

l. A compound eng'ine having its high-pressure valve divided into compartments and having suitable ports and passages whereby the exhaust-steam is divided into two portions, one of which only is led tothe lowpressure cylinder, substantially as described.

2. A compound engine having its high-pressure cylinder provided with a tubular piston, whereby the steam is divided intotWo portions, a suitable valvegear for leading one of said portions to the low-pressure cylinder, substantially as described.

3. A compound engine having its high-pressure-cylinder heads provided with annular wells, and a piston having annular shells on each side adapted to slide in said wells and a valve admitting steam both inside and outside of said shells, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a low-pressure cylinder, of a high-pressure cylinder having` a piston provided with cylindrical shells dividing said cylinder into two compartments, and a double Valve admitting steam to both compartments and directing the exhaust from one compartment to the atm osphcre and from the other compartment to the low-pressure cylinder.

5. The combination, with the high-pressure cylinder having its heads provided with annular extensions containing annular wells, of

a piston having cylindrical shells sliding in said wells, and a double slide-valve having itsseat provided with 'a double set of admission and exhaust ports, substantially as described. Y

6. A compound engine-having a low-pressure cylinder, and a plurality of high-pressure cylinders arranged to divide the highpressure steam into separated portions, with suitable valve-gear for directing one portion of the high-pressure exhaust into the lowpressure cylinder and the other portion into the atmosphere, substantially as described.

7. In a compound locomotive, the combination, with the low-pressure cylinder, of highpressure cylinders on each side of the engine divided into two compartments, and a valve on each side arranged to admit steam to both high-pressure compartments simultaneously and to exhaust it from only one of said compartments to the low-pressure cylinder, the other exhausting directly into the atmosphere, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the frame, of the girt O, the lever N, fulcrumed thereon, connected at one end with the high-pressure valverod, and having at its other endadouble fork, the low-pressure Valve-rod P, having the fork p, and a block uniting the fork p with the double fork of the lever, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the valve-rod C', of the lever N, having a double fork n n2, the rod P, having a fork p, the block consisting of a base Q ,stud q, and pieces q2 cl3, received in `the forks, the forked link R, carrying said block, and a bell-crankvlever, to which said linkis jointed, substantially as described.

l0. AA compound engine having its highpressure cylinder divided into compartments, whereby the steam is separated into two portions, and a valve adapted to exhaust only one of said portions to the low-pressure cylinder, the other being exhausted directly in to the atmosphere, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of.' two witnesses.

HARRY C.' REAGAN, JR. Witnesses:

HARRY V. BENDER, EDwD. F. PnAcocK.

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