Patenfted Mar. I8, |902.
A. A. & w. L. nAnBY.
E N G I N E.
(Application led Sept. 16, 1901.)
(No Model.)
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AVERNO ARCOLA DARBY AND VILLIAM LEANDER DARBY, OF VIDALIA, GEORGIA.
ENGINE.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Patent No. 695,7 98, dated March 18, 1902.
Application led September 16. 1901. Serial No. 75,529. (No model.)
To @ZZ whom, it may concern:
Be it known that we, AvEENo ARCOLA DARBY and WILLIAM LEANDER DARBY, citizens of the United States, residing at and Whose post-oiice address is Vidalia, in the county of Montgomery and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specication.
Our invention relates to improvements in engines, and its primary object is to increase the power and speed of this class of engines.
The main characteristic of the invention is the employment of three independent cylinders, within each of which is arranged a piston-head, the relative arrangement of the cylinders being such as to insure an equalization of the power for driving a double-crank shaft, as hereinafter fully described.
The engine is adapted to be driven by steam, gas, hot air, compressed air, or by any explosive motive iiuid, and its construction will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,which form a part of this specification.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an engine constructed in accordance with our invention, and Fig. 2is an end elevation of the outer cylinder thereof.
The reference numeral 1 designates the bed-plate of an engine, formed with bearings 2 and 3 for a transverse shaft 3, formed with two oppositely-disposed cranks 4 and 5.
Thenumerals 6, 7, and 8 designate three independent cylinders, which are arranged end to end in overlapped relation, the central or intermediate cylinder 7 communicating with the outer end of the cylinder 6 and the inner end of thecylinder 8.
9 designates a piston-rod, which extends through the cylinders G and 8 and stufngboxes 10 and 11, and upon said rod 9 are secured two piston-heads 12 and 13, arranged, respectively, within thecylinders 6 and 8. The inner end of the piston 9 is connected to across-head 14, adapted to slide upon theguides 16, and connected by a link 17 and an eccentric 18 with the crank 5.
18 designates a piston rod extending through a stuffing-box 2O and into the intermediate cylinder 7, a piston-head 2l beingfixed upon the outer end of the piston-rod 19.
The inner end of the piston-rod 19 is connected to a cross-head 22, which moves in guideways 23, formed on the bed-plate 1, said cross-head being connected by alink 24 and an eccentric 25 with the crank 4. 26 designates a steam-chest arranged at one side of the intermediate cylinder 7, and Within said chest is a slide-valve 27, adapted to control steam-ports 28 and 29 and an exhaust 30.
31 designates a valve-rod, which extends through a stuffing-box 32 into the steam-chest 26. This rod 31 extends through an opening in the valve 27, and said valve is secured in place thereon by means of nuts 33, arranged on opposite sides of the valve 27, as shown in the drawings. The opposite end of the rod 31 is connected to aslide 34, which is reciprocated by the rotation of the shaft 3u through the intermediacy of an eccentric 35 and a link connection 36 between said eccentric and theslide 34.
Thenumeral 37 designates flanges projecting from the cylinders to facilitate their attachment to the bed-plates of the engine bybolts 38. The cylinders are also flanged for attachment to one another by thebolts 39.
40 designates the cap of the steam-chest.
In operation the steam enters between two piston-heads instead of between one pistonhead and the ordinary cylinder-head, and thus the steam expands quickly in both directions, causing the piston-heads12 and 13 to move togethertoward the right as the pist0n-head 21 in the cylinder 7 is forced to the left. The result of this construction and relative arrangement of the cylinders and pistonheads is that anA equal pull is imparted to each of the cranks 4 and 5, insuring a quick and positive revolution of the shaft 3 and effectually avoiding dead-centers.
Instead of arranging thecylinders 6, 7, and 8, as shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described, in staggered or overlapped relaytion we may, if desired, employ a continuous straight cylinder by passing the piston-rods through the front and middle piston-heads, using stuffing-boxes in said heads to prevent the escape of steam. The straight cylinder will apply to small engines; but for larger en- IOO gines we will employ the construction shownr in the drawings in order to get su fcient space for the large double crank. We also reserve the right to locate the two cranks a sufficient distance apart to afford space for a bearing between the cranks, as large engines would require a support at this point.
By disconnecting either side of the engine and blocking the same securely we will have an ordinary single-expansion engine.
\Vc would have it understood that the details of construction of the improvement may be varied without departing from the spirit of our invention, and therefore that our invention is not restricted to the construction shown in the drawings, but includes all 'such embodiments of the invention as may fall within the scope of the following claim.
We claim- In an engine of the character described, the combination with a shaft formed with oppositely-disposed cranks; of alining cylinders spaced apart, a piston-rod connected to one of the cranks and extending into said cylinders, a piston in each cylinder and secured to said rod, an intermediate cylinder removed from the rod and communicating at its ends with the alining cylinders, a single piston-rod in said cylinder and connected to a crank on the shaft, a piston on said rod and in the intermediate cylinder, the pistonrods being parallel, an inlet and an exhaust at opposite ends of the intermediate cylinder, a chest upon the intermediate cylinder, and a valve therein operated from the crank-shaft.
In testimony whereof we afx our signatures in presence of two witnesses.
AVERNO ARCOLA DARBY. WILLIAM LEANDER DARBY. Witnesses:
E. S. MEADOWS, J. E. SoHUMP-ERT.