The Allen Engine-Charles T. Porter

Allen Engine.
385
THE ALLEN ENGINE,

By C E A R L ] g S T. PORTER.
(Continued from page 325.)
Construction.--It has been attempted to make the details of this

engine worthy of its principles, and it is believed that in this re-
spect also it exhibits an improvement on existing types corres-
ponding with that presented in its valve and ~rank action. Strength,
truth, extent and durability of wearing surfaces, and simplicity
have been the objects especially sought.
A few of the more important features will be briefly noticed.
The bed is massive, and is in its form well suited to maintain
perfect rigidity, whatever power the engine may be exerting. The
cylinder is secured to the bed in a manner insuring truth of posi-
tion, and bringing the centre-line near to its surface. The support
of the cylinder is at once firm and adjustable, and leaves it free to
move by expansion and contraction. The cylinder and the steam
and exhaust chests are combined in one casting, but a belt is inter-
posed to protect the cylinder from the cooling blast of the exhaust
vapor. The heads are hollow, preventing external cooling, and the
steam is taken directly into the cylinder, without being first cooled
and condensed in a jacket. ~
There is no small piece which can become loose in the cylinder.
The piston is a solid mass, of a depth equal to one-half its diameter,
as ~hown in Figure 1, Plate I, and combines the desired weight
with absolute simplicity. It may be objected that the weight of
this piston will wear the cylinder. This objection will vanish,
however, when it is considered that this is only from two pounds to
four pounds on the square inch of cylinder, being least in the
smallest cylinders, that it is evenly distributed, and runs on the
bottom, where it is well lubricated, and that ordinary packing.
rings, and the pistons of large marine horizontal engines, both exert
a pressure many fold greater.
It is certain that steam cannot get inside of this piston. It is
packed with small cast iron rings, turned larger than the cylinder,
There is, however, no doubt that a steam-iaeket which does not communicate
with the ports, and is supplied with steam of a higher temperature than that
worked in the cylinder, and which has a free drainage back into its own boiler, is
economical and advantageous, when it is practicable to employ it.
VOL. LX,--THIRD S]~RIES.--~.No, 6.--DECEMBER, 1870. 49
386 Civil cu~.,~Mec/~aniccd 'wyineerin 2.
bored slightly eccentric, cat as shown on their thin side, and

sprung into grooves. These answer admirably, and are very du-
rable. Wrought iron rings are worthless. The whole can easily
be pushed through a 16-inch cylinder by hand.
The piston is secured on the rod by shrinking. The plain par-
allel rod is merely held in a parallel hole. The subject of shrinking
is so little understood that it is commonly supposed a piston cannot
be held on the rod without a nut or a key--means of fastening so
trivial in the comparison as to be ridiculous. It must be confessed
that ordinary turning, and more especially boring, can not be relied
on for this purpose, which requires work of a superior character.
In these Works, the rod for shrinking is made larger than the hole
by "0025 of an inch for each inch of diameter, and they are held
with such force that they will part before }hey can be drawn out.
Their tightness is tested by sound. The rod, when lightly struck,
must give out a clear, musical and sustained tone.
The cross-head is of cast iron, running on east iron guides. No
other combination of metals is so durable, if the surfaces do not
become injured. This is abundantly guarded against in these en-
gines by the extent of surface in the cross-heads, equal to four-
fifths of the area of the piston, and by the equal distribution of
pressure over this surface. This latter is ensured by making the
surfaces of the cross-heads and the guides true planes, and the cross-
head itself a simple solid block of considerable thickness, and by
jointing the connecting-rod in the centre of it.
The crank and cross-head pins are made about twice the usual
size ; the latter is made separate, and is set in the cross-head in the
manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, Plate I, and the surfaces of both
are hardened and ground.
The connecting-rod is made six cranks in length. The crank-pin
boxes are secured in the solid rod end, and wear is taken up by a
wedge, as shown in )'igure 5, Plate I. This is an admirable ar-
rangement. The length of the connecting-rod remains nearly per-
manent, varying only by the difference, if any, between the wear of
the two pairs of boxes, instead of being, as is commonly the ease,
shortened by the sum of their wear.
The shaft is large, and its journals arc long and large, as are
all joint-pins, by grinding between dead-centres with a traversing
wheel, to produce a true cylindrical form. Aside from the dimin-
ished wear, and the safety against warming, which this perfection
Alle~. Engine. 387
of form secures, it also materially increases ~he effective power given

off by the engine.
The bearing-blocks and connecting-rod boxes are lined with Bab.
bitt metal, made of copper, tin and antimony. ~
These blocks are made very heavy, and without flanges. The
defect of the overhanging action of the single crank, often so little
regarded, and the source of so much trouble, is, in this engine, re-
duced to a minimum, by bringing the centre line as near as possible
to the bearing, and by employing a short crank and a stiff shaft;
but, above all, by the action of the reciprocating parts in preventing
violent shocks and strains.
The device will be observed which prevents oil from the bearing
working out on the crank-disk.
In all other engines working very expansively, one principal
office of the fly-wheel is to resist the violence of the steam at the
commencement of the stroke, which it does by- excessive torsion of
the shaft and strain on the crank ; and another is, to maintain the
motion as well as possible when the steam in the cylinder has, by
expansion, nearly or quite lost its force above the atmosphere.
In this engine, these offices, as has already been explained, are
performed by the reciprocating parts, and the force exerted on the
crank is, by their action, made nearly uniform. ~evertheless, a
fly-wheel is employed quite equal in regulating power to those
which have the above duties to perform, and the result is a much
closer approximation to uniform motion, under all circumstances,
than is possible with any slow-working engine.
Attention is invited to the construction of the outer pillow-block.
This is made very substantial, with a broad base, and is set on a
base-plate, on which it is adjustable by keys, to enable the shaft to
be exactly lined, and readily readjusted, if from any cause it gets
out of line.
(To be continued.)
This was a composition, the virtue of which was better known to the past gene-
ration, i t h a v i n g latterly given place to one of lead and spelter.

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Allen Engine.

THE ALLEN ENGINE,

(Continued from page 325.)

Construction.--It has been attempted to make the details of this

bored slightly eccentric, cat as shown on their thin side, and

of form secures, it also materially increases ~he effective power given

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