E, RECTOR, STEAM MOTOR GENERATOR, APPCATION FED APR. 19, 1916, 1,309,102. Patented July 8, 1919, 4. Shes-SHEET 1.

... " t

: isas rts aaaaa i. ass S3.3- =left(asPort

SS s 2-le

s

E

s

W ill 3. O

Eric Sales 'S st T. 0. : . ir T H. Em2. It

la?es RR--P

W ):AS "S" N EA fiefHill

V2 t e Finoc/, /ZectorINVENTOR 44. 2 E, RECTOR, STEAM MOTOR GENERATOR, APPCATION FED APR, 19, 1916. 1,809,102. Patented July 8, 1919, 4 SHEETS-S HEET 2.

S3 NSIts S "

SS HNP b

N ENSN E INWEMTOR

B Aec/or 2 ATIORAEY E, RECTOR, STEAM MOTOR GENERATOR, APP. CATION FLED APR, 9. 1916, 1,309,102 Patented July 8, 1919, 4 SHEETS-S HEET 3.

| SKS |

iØzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

22 y 2E,

Anech / INVENTORec/or . ATIORNEr

couisa PAN) RAP o, WASHINdron, D.c. E, RECOR, SEAM MOTOR GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1916. 1,309,102. Patented July 8, 1919, 4. SHEETS-SHEET 4,

Z% --O-PO S-2 %2 2 Slat

S 3N

O--

2 Ele 8

222

2 36éŠ

s Hinoc/2 feec/orINVENTOR

ATIORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ENOCH RECTOR, OF NEW YORK, N.Y. STEAMI-MOTOR GENERATOR. 1,309,102. Specification of Letters Patent, Patented July 8, 1919. Application filed April 19, 1916. Serial No. 92,114. To all whom it may CO2,667, Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 showing Be it known that I, ENOCH RECTOR, a the reverse side of the device; citizen of the United States, residing in the Fig. 3 is an end view of the device taken city, county, and State of New York, have at the left of Fig. 1 and with the control 60 invented certain new and useful Improve mechanism casing shown in section; ments in Steam-Motor Generators, of which Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional the following is a specification. view taken axially of one of the cylinders; My invention relates to improvements in Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view that type of steam, engines, in which a taken on the irregular line 5-5 of Fig. 4 65 O limited charge of water is fed periodically and looking in the direction indicated by the to the head of the and there con arrows; verted into steam of sufficient propelling. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken power to move the on its working axially through the equalizer; and and for the purpose of this disclosure Fig. 7 is an end view of the casing 70 the device will be identified as a steam motor showing in dash lines the relative positions generator. of the piston rods. One of the objects of my invention is to In the following description and in the perfect devices of the above type so as to claim, parts will be identified by specific provide a of high efficiency names for convenience of expression but 75 20 compared with such devices now known and they are intended to be as generic in their which at the same time will be simple in con application to similar parts as the art will struction and economical in its consumption permit. of Water and fuel. For the purpose of this disclosure the in Another object of the invention is to pro vention as shown in connection with the 80 25 vide a simple form of engine free of any base portion of a standard form of hori steam controlling and promptly re Zontal type, four cylinder, two cycle engine sponsive to a sensitive control for varying in order to demonstrate the adaptability of the working capacity of the engine. the novel features to conventional structures As an incident to the economical actua now on the market. This base portion in 85 30 tion of the device, the invention contem cludes a long crank casing 10 in which is plates an engine designed to provide a steam journaled the 11 which projects clearance of very small volume compared beyond opposite ends of the casing. A fly to the area of heating surface facing the wheel 12 is fixed to one end of the shaft and small volume space and compared to the some suitable driving connection 13 is fixed 90 35 massive heat retaining bodies supplying the to the other end. The top plate 14 of the heating surfaces. casing is provided with four longitudinally Further it is desired to provide a construc spaced openings therethrough, each com tion arranged so that the Water charge Sup municating with the lower end of one of the plied at each actuation of the piston is cylinders hereinafter described. The shaft 95 40 distributed promptly to all parts of the ex 11 is provided with four cranks 15, as shown tensive heating surface present. in dash lines in Fig. 7, and each crank ex Various other objects and advantages of tends from the shaft at 90° from the next the invention will be in part obvious from adjacent crank and is keyed thereto below an inspection of the accompanying drawings one of the top openings so that a crank is 100 45 and in part will be more fully set forth in below each cylinder, all as is usual with the following particular description of one known types of steam engines. The super form of mechanism embodying my inven structure mounted on the base thus de tion, and the invention also consists in cer scribed is designed to form an embodiment . tain new and novel features of constructions of my invention particularly adapted for 50 and combination of parts hereinafter set installation in connection with a variable forth and claimed. load machine, such as the power plant of a Referring to the accompanying drawings: self-propelled vehicle and it is in connec Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of a tion with this particular use that the inven preferred embodiment of my invention with tion will be described. The central portion 10 : 55 parts broken away to show internal construc of the superstructure includes four combined cylinder and units 16, one for each tion; ...... ------2 1,809,102 crank mounted on the top plate. As these ing space to which the surface is exposed. units are similar in construction, a detailed The grid is wheel-shaped in form having a description of one will be sufficient for all. wide peripheral band 34 substantially the Each unit comprises a single casting, the width of the containing drum, a hub portion lower portion of which constitutes a ver 35 and a plurality of radially disposed plates tically disposed cylinder 17 the lower end 36 integrally connecting the hub portion of which is flanged and bolted to the cas with the band, and coacting to form a plu ing. The upper portion of each unit is in rality of longitudinally extending heat con the form of a cylindrical drum 18 with its ducting passageways 22 opening from the 10 axis horizontally disposed and arranged so burner and opening to the Water coils 2S in that the drums are disposed end to end in the economizer. Opposite sides of each a battery to form a sectional grid-contain plate are provided with longitudinally ex ing-casing open at opposite ends. The tending flanges 37 projecting into the pas drums are designed so that normally the ad: sageways 22 and designed to receive the 15 jacent ends are spaced apart slightly and major portion of the heat therefrom as it thus prevent distortion when subjected to passes from the burner. Each grid is cast heat expansion. The Wall forming the drum and drilled to form a plurality of Small is relatively thin, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, Volume spaces open to each other and coac but this is reinforced by longitudinally tively designed to provide a steam gener 20 spaced flanges 19 extending outwardly there ating chamber of small capacity. The outer 8S 5. from and having a mass sufficient to resist periphery of the band 34 is recessed between distorting internal pressures on the Wall of its end faces to form an inclosed steam col the drum. These flanges serve to provide lecting passageway 3S between the grid and annular pockets 20, each designed to ac its correlated drum. As shown in Fig. 4 25 commodate a section of an asbestos or simi this passageway increases slightly in cross lar heat insulating covering 21. Section in both directions about the grid A preheater or economizer 22 for the from the point most remote from the cylin water supplied to the engine is mounted at der to the steam inlet end 39 of the cylinder one end and forms a continuation of the thereby to provide a steam passageway to 30 battery of drums. 18. The economizer in the cylinder of gradually increasing space cludes a water coil containing shell 23 en but with the least possible steam clearance circled by an asbestos jacket 24. The necessary to effect the free movement of the drums, together with their asbestos sections formed steam supplied along the length of and the economizer jackets are inclosed With this collecting passageway. 35 in a cylindrical inclosing shell 25 preferably of thin sheet metal and not intentionally As shown in Fig. 5 the center of the hub (G designed to resist strains. portion 25 is provided with a long cylindri The end of the drums opposite the econo cal water receiving chamber 40 of small vol mizer is provided with a burner 26 designed ume compared with the heating surface 40 to supply the requisite amount of heat to formed by the wall outlining the chamber the grids 27 within the drums and to the and this chamber is connected to the pas IG water coils 28 in the economizer. While sageway 38 by means of a plurality of Small any conventionai form of burner may be steam generating Spaces and conduits 41 used preferably a gas or oil burner is uti extending centrally through the width of lized due to the ease with which such burners the plates 36. A piston 42 is mounted for are controlled and for this purpose a reciprocating movement in the cylinder 1 29 for controlling the fuel supplied to the and is connected with the crank therebelow burner is positioned in the supply line 30. by means of a piston rod 43 pivoted to the and conveniently accessible to the operator, piston pin 44. In order to reduce the steam 50 but for the purpose of this disclosure there clearance, the working head 45 of the piston is shown a burner such as is described in my is recessed to conform substantially to the co-pending application, Serial No. 58,225, configuration of the adjacent face of the filed Oct. 27, 1915. The burner shown is grid so that when the piston is at the be mounted within a casing 31 demountably ginning of its working stroke, the head 45 affixed to the adjacent drum and opened di is close to the grid. The steam containing rectly to the heat passageways 22' in the Space in the grid is relatively Small com 2 () grids hereinafter described. Each drum is pared with the space in the cylinder vacated provided with a flat cylindrical cellular and by the piston when it has completed its preferably malleable iron casting 33 fitted moving stroke. in the engine illustrated 60 therein preferably by shrinking the same in the steam space is about eight per cent. of position with a frictionally tight fit. This the piston-traveled space and this has been 12 casting constitutes a heat absorbing, retain found to give the requisite cushioning effect ing and dispensing grid and is designed to to the piston on its return stroke with the provide a relatively large heat absorbing least loss of power. The side of the cyl 65 inder is provided with an exhaust, port 46 surface compared to the volume of the heat designed to open through the piping system 30 1,809,102 3. 47 either to the atmosphere, to a condenser opened with a pressure greater than any or to a low pressure chamber as is usual possible steam pressure present in the Space. with devices of this character. The port is For this purpose a pump 68 is positioned controlled directly by the piston and is so in the line of pipe 48, preferably in advance proportioned and positioned relative to the of the control valve 49 and preferably in 70 final position of the piston on its working that portion of the pipe Which may be iden stroke that any desired proportion of the tified as the cold water supply pipe 69. The expanded steam is free to pass from the cyl pump is actuated conveniently from the inder and a definite amount of the steam is Crank shaft through the gearing 70 and 7 5 0. trapped by the piston closing the port on crank movement 71. its returning stroke. Water is supplied to It is preferred that the pump have a ca the steam generating space of each drum at pacity to supply the steam generating spaces under all conditions of service and to return each actuation of the piston thereof in quan any surplus Water to the system. This is tities not in excess of the amount, which can SO 5 be turned into steam by the heat present. attained automatically in the device illus The most efficient quantity supplied is usu trated by means of an equalizer 72 (see Fig. ally ascertained by calculation or experi 6) positioned in the pipe line 69 in advance ment under the different working conditions of the pump. The equalizer is in the form of the device and the water controlling of a cylinder having a reduced head 73 20 valves set to deliver the requisite amount of opening through the lateral bell 74 of a T Water at each opening of the valves. For 75, constituting part of the cold water sup this purpose a main supply pipe 48 extends ply pipe 69. A by-pass pipe 76 leads from along the length of the SE and the flow the side of the equalizer back to the pipe 69 therethrough is controlled by a manually and around the pump. Communication be tWeen the pipes 69 and 76 is normally inter 90 25 actuated valve 49 positioned convenient to cepted by a plunger valve 77 held in close the operator. Branch supply pipes 50 lead position by a high tension spring 78 con from the main pipe to water inlet ports 51 tained Within the equalizer. in enlargements 52 projecting from the side A trap 79 is positioned in the line of pipe of each drum as shown in Fig. 4. An eject 95 30 ing nozzle 53 in the form of a plug is 48 preferably between the pump and valve screwed into each enlargement from the out 49 so as to remove sediment from the water side and has its outlet nose 54 reduced and before it is ejected into the several steam positioned in a recess 55 formed in the band generating spaces. 34 in line with one of the radical conduits While it is obvious that cold or merely 35 41. The nose end of the nozzle has an axi hot Water may be fed to the generating space 00 ally disposed discharge bore 56 reduced to the most efficient operation of the device thrusto-conical form toward the outlet end illustrated depends upon the use of heated positioned in the recess. The receiving end Water possibly at a temperature of four or of the discharge bore is connected by a lat five hundred degrees Fahrenheit so that in 05 -40 erally extending passageway 57 with the in this disclosure the term water may be under let port 51. A valve in the form of a stood to mean the Saturated water vapor pointed plunger rod 58 extends through a usually present under the heavy pressure packing box 59 in the outer end of the plug conditions at these high temperatures. The and is designed to fit in and close the frusto Water is heated conveniently from the heat conical end of the discharge bore and thus. Supplied by the burners and which is not 10 intercept the passage of water to the steam absorbed by the grids. For this purpose the generating space in the grid. The outer end pipe 48 includes the heating coil 28 con of the valve is connected by means of a link tained in the line between the equalizer and 60 with one arm of a bell crank lever 61 the trap. This coil is conveniently arranged 5 50 pivoted within a casing 62 fixed to in concentric spaced layers and is mounted the side of the engine cylinder as shown in in a frame 80 positioned within the shell 23 Fig. 1. The other arm of the lever is pro and coacting to form the economizer 22. vided with a roller 63 which is held by The cam shaft is actuated from the crank means of a spring 64 in engagement with a shaft in a manner to provide a simple means peripheral cam 65 mounted on a camshaft for advancing the time at which the valve 66. Each cam is provided with tripping 58 OpenS relative to the position of the piston lugs 67 designed to engage the roller to rock in the cylinder and thus reverse the engine. the lever and thus snap open the valve there As shown in Fig. 3 one of the gears 70 con by to admit a charge of water to the steam stantly meshes with a helical gear 81 rotata generating space at each complete revolu bly mounted in a reversing mechanism con 25 tion of the camshaft. taining casing 82. A connecting shaft 83 As the piston on its return stroke com is mounted for both rotary and longitudinal presses the steam remaining in the steam movement in the casing and a portion 84 generating space it is necessary to force the thereof is squared so as to slide in the gear water into this space when the valve 58 is 81 while driven by the same. The shaft 83 30 4. 1,309,102 is connected to the cam shaft through a that with this device it is possible to time helical pinion driving connection S5. The the Working of the piston So that the charge shaft is shifted longitudinally by means of is admitted as the piston reaches the end a lever 86 pivoted to the casing and designed of its compression stroke. The formation 5 to be locked temporarily on a notched wheel of the steam and its delivery to the piston 70 87. The end of the lever opposite the handle head is so rapid that the device will turn end is in the form of a toothed segment 88 over even without a fly-wheel. In this de forming a rack and pinion connection be Vice the piston has a five inch head and a tween the connecting shaft and the lever 86. four and one-half inch stroke so that there 10 In operation, and with the burner active, is an expansion of about 10 volumes per- 75 the grids quickly becomes heated even to mitted to the mass of high pressure steam incandescence. The heat passing about the present before the exhaust port is opened, coil 28 raises the temperature of the Water This movement of one of the ro thereon to any desired or safe degree and tates the crank shaft and through the con 15 with such devices a pressure of 1000 lbs. necting shaft 85, the camshaft is rotated 80 has been found to be quite efficient for gen to open the valve to the next cylinder in eral working conditions. By regulating the order. This action is continued, a charge fuel control valve 29, the activity of the of Water being ejected into each cylinder burner may be varied and the heat not ab as its piston has about reached the end of 20 sorbed by the grids passes into the super its compression stroke. As the engine be- 85 heater, so that the valve 29 controls the gins to actuate, the pump 68 acts on the temperature of the Water passed from the Water supply to force the Water through coil 28. The pressure thus formed in the the coils and to sustain the water under a coil reacts on the equalizer, tends to com tension sufficient to cause it to fill promptly 25 press the spring 78 thus placing the Water any free space in the steam generating 90 system under tension. The equalizer also space. After the engine has started the acts as a , opening the Super lever 88 is moved back to its initial posi heated water back to the cold Water Supply tion, when displaced therefrom so as to in through the by-pass pipe 76 when the pres sure the introduction of the water charge 30 sure in the coil becomes excessive for any to the grid at the proper position of the 95 SO. piston. The device works most efficiently The control valve 49 is then opened When a steam under high temperature is slightly admitting a charge of this super Supplied to the piston. heated water to whichever one of the cyl Should the work required of the engine 35 inders should happen to have its valve 57 increase it is merely necessary to open the in open position. Should the engine have Valve 49, a little more thereby to admit a 100 stopped in a “dead’ position with all the greater Volume of water in each charge. A valves 57 closed, then the operator shifts greater mass of water is converted into the lever 84 in one or the other of its di steam under these conditions with perhaps 40 rections of movement depending on whether not as high temperature but as the burner 105 a direct or reverse driving of the engine is usually supplying heat in quantities suffi is desired. This will have the effect of cient to convert any amount of Water pres rotating the cam shaft and thus manually ent into steam, there is effected a variable open one of the valves 57. control promptly responsive to any sudden 45 The charge of water will be shot along demand for more power. The relatively 110 the conduit, in line with the open nozzle. large Volumes of Water supplied under these into the chamber 40 and into the conduits conditions may tend to consume some of the leading therefrom to the collecting passage reserve heat in the grids and the active way 3S. This small volume of water, com steam may gradually become “cold'. In 50 ing in contact with the high temperature this case it is merely necessary to open up 115 and large-heat-capacity grid will be quickly the burner and cause a more active genera turned into steam if not already in this tion of heat to supply the grids and main state and in each case will cause the charge tain the high temperature desired about the to intensify its expansive force. As the heating coils. When the necessity for this 55 clearance in the device illustrated is but eXcessive power has, passed both the burner 120 eleven or twelve cubic inches in contact with and Water supply may be reset to their over eight square feet of heating surface normal efficient working conditions. it will be apparent that the hot grids will As the piston reaches the end of its Work deliver a large amount of heat to each unit, ing stroke it uncovers the exhaust port 46 60 of water present. This high power steam permitting the steam present back of the 125 moves out of the conduits into the passage piston to exhaust through the port and re way 38 which increases in clearance to the duce to Whatever may be the pressure con piston. The steam, acts on the piston to ditions in the piping system 47. On its re move the same on its Working stroke as is turn stroke the piston closes the port and 65 usual with devices of this character, except acts on the trapped steam to compress the 130 1,309,102 5 same. As the clearance is small compared ton cylinder and thus supply heat energy at with the space in the cylinder passed over the point where it is most capable of per by the piston, there is a material compres forming mechanical work. In other Words sion of the steam possibly to about one the coil preheater 22 may supply the neces 65 tenth of its expanded volume, which action sary heat to the water therein so that when generates heat in the grid thus tending to the water or combined steam and water in compensate for the cooling effect of the ex this preheater is open to the grid device panding steam on the grid. Maintaining there will be sufficient heat present to flash the grid continually in a hot condition sub the Water into steam if it is not already in 70 0 stantially prevents any reduction in tem this condition. In this case the grid devices perature of the water supplied to the grid must be considered as superheaters and their and thus uses the heat supplied directly function under these conditions is entirely from the burner solely to raise the tempera that of highly superheating the steam in its ture of this steam-water. Should it be de passage to the engine cylinders. 75 15 sired to reverse the direction of movement It is not to be assumed that the water is of the crank shaft and thus reverse the en pumped directly into the steam generating gine, the lever 86 is shifted so as to change space for it is apparent that no known type the lead of the valve opening movements of reciprocating pump would be capable of relative to the positions of the pistons in forcing a small amount of water into the 80 20 their cylinders. Space under some condition of Service, as By means of a device of this character it where the feed water from the heater is at is possible to provide a flash boiler type of a temperature of as high as 500 F. Rather engine which will not only turn over the it is to be assumed that the water is shot piston but which will actually run the en under its own resiliency to flood the free 85 25 gine economically. In order to operate an space in the chamber. . . engine of this character I have found it While I have shown and described, and essential to have a powerful charge of have pointed out in the annexed claim, cer steam generated almost instantaneously and tain novel features of my invention, it will promptly utilized to do its mechanical work. be understood that various omissions, sub 90 30 Accordingly, such a device must be able to stitutions and changes in the form and de supply a large amount of heat suddenly to tails of the device illustrated and contained the water charge but the steam generating within the scope of the claim and in its and receiving space must be small other operation may be made by those skilled in wise a part of the steam generated would be the art without departing from the spirit 95 35 utilized merely to fill dead space without of the invention. doing work. Further the generated steam Having thus described my invention, I must have a clear passageway to the piston claim: head even at the beginning of its working In a device of the class described, a flash stroke and should be subjected to an intense boiler including a grid, wheel shaped in 00 40 heating even up to the place where it passes form, having a wide peripheral band, a hub into the piston cylinder otherwise some cool portion and a plurality of radially disposed ing effect will be introduced. - plates connecting the hub portions with the Another problem solved in the device dis band, said plates and rim coacting to form closed is to design the steam clearance so a plurality of heat conducting passageways 05 45 that there is provided not only a steam cush therethrough and said grid provided with a ion for the piston on its compression stroke steam generating chamber designed to be but an arrangement for concentrating the supplied with heat from said passageways, heat of compression into a small volume of a cylinder opening directly from the band trapped steam from the previous charge and of said grid and supplied from said cham 10 50 thus maintain a high normal temperature ber, a piston mounted for reciprocatory to the steam generating chamber. movement in said cylinder, the end of said Again, with the object in view of supply piston adjacent the grid being shaped to ing economically the highest possible tem conform to the configuration of the adjacent perature of steam to the piston head, the face of the grid thereby tending to reduce 5 55 feed water is heated and even vaporized be the clearance between the piston and grid fore it is passed onto the hot plates in the when the piston is at the beginning of its boiler so that the boiler heat is used not en working stroke. tirely for generating steam but rather to Signed at New York city, in the county give the superheated mixture of steam of New York, and State of New York, this 120 80 charged - water a final, sudden and intense 17' day of April, A. D. 1916. heating just before it is delivered to the pis ENOCH RECTOR. Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the “Commissioner of Ratests, - - - . . . . . Washington, D. g.