Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 124 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885.

Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 124 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885.
and the abutment disks, B, and gear.  The piston disks and gear are attached to the driving shaft, H, and the abutment disks and gear are attached to the shaft, K. These shafts, H and K, as above stated, run in taper phosphor-bronze bearings, which are adjustable for wear or other causes by the screw-caps, O. The whole mechanism is kept rigidly in place by the flanged hub, r, bolted securely to the cylinder head, F. These flanged heads project through the cylinder head, touching the piston disk, and thereby prevent any end motion of the shaft, H, or its attachments.  The abutment disks and shaft are furnished with similar inwardly projecting flanged hubs, which are provided with a recess, I, Fig. 2, on their periphery, located radially between the shaft, K, and the clearance space, J. Into this recess steam is admitted—­through an inlet in the cylinder head not shown in the cuts.  By this means the shaft, K, is relieved of all side pressure.  The exhaust-port, which is very large and relieves all back pressure, is shown at D. The pistons and disks are made to balance at the speed at which the engine is intended to run.  The steam-valve, for which patent is pending, is new in principle.  It has a uniform rotating motion, and, like the engine, is steam and mechanically balanced.  The governor is located in the flywheel, and actuates the automatic cut-off, with which it is directly connected, without the intervention of an eccentric, in such a way as to vary the cut-off without changing the point of admission.  By this means is secured uniformity of motion under variable loads with variable boiler pressure.  It also secures the advantage resulting from high initial and low terminal pressure with small clearances and absence of compression, giving a large proportionate power and smooth action.

Expansion has been excellently provided for, the steam passing entirely around before entering the cylinder.  These engines are mounted on a bed-plate which may be set on any floor without especial preparation therefor.  The parts are all made interchangeable.  A permanent indicator is provided which shows the exact point of cut-off.  The steam-port is exceptionally large, being one-fourth of the piston area.  Reciprocating motion is entirely done away with.  The steam is worked at the greatest leverage of the crank through the entire stroke.  Among the other chief advantages claimed for this engine are direct connection to the machinery without belts, etc., impossibility of getting out of line, uniform crank leverage, capacity for working equally well slow or fast, etc.  It has but one valve, which is operated by gear from the shaft, as shown, traveling at one-half the velocity of the piston.

[Illustration:  Fig. 1.—­THE HARRINGTON ROTARY ENGINE COUPLED TO A DYNAMO.]

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Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.