April 10, l 951
2,548,708
J. w. picKEY
ELECTRICALLY-HEATED STEAM GENERATOR AND POWER UNIT
Filed Aug. 2, 1945
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’ATTORNEY
April 10, 1951
2,548,708
J. W. DICKEY
ELECTRICALLY-HEATED STEAM GENERATOR AND POWER UNIT
Filed Aug. 2, "1945
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INVENTOR.
April l0, 1951
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2,548,708
ELECTRICALLY-HEATED STEAM GENERATOR AND POWER UNIT
Filed Aug. 2, 1945
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A
oRNEY
April 10, 1951
J. w. DlcKEY
2,548,708
ELECTRICALLY-HEATED STEAM GENERATOR AND POWER UNIT
Filed Aug. 2, 1945
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A TORNE Y
Patented Apr. 10, 1951
_ 2,548,708
?U‘Nl’riro lSTATES PATENT OFFICE
ELECTRICALLY HEATED STEAM GENER
ATOR AND POWER UNIT
John W. Dickey, Elmira, N. Y., assigner to Bendix
Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a cor
poration of Delaware
Application> August 2, 1945, Serial No. 608,539
11l Claims. (Cl. 60-25)
1.
2
TheY present invention relates to a steam actu
ated motor and more particularly to a device for
transforming electrical energy into mechanical
Fig. 7 is a semi-diagrammatic detail of the
heating and controlling means for the actuated
motor of Fig’. 4;
force..
Fig. 8 is a-side elevation, on a reduced scale,
There are many types of movable devices re
of the actuatory of Fig. 4 as used to operate a
quiring` mechanical force for their operation
hinged door ;_
'
which it would be desirable to operate by a power
unit, but the cost, weight and/ or bulk of an elec
trical motor, gearing, etc. is restrictive if not
prohibitive. Thus itr would be very desirable to
of a system >forfraising and' lowering aslidable »
member such as a window, utilizing» a steam ac
operate windows, particularly in automobiles or
where the windows are heavy or inaccessible;
Fig. l0 is a detail' on an enlarged scale of the
Fig.- 9 is a semi-diagrammatic representation
tuated motor;
"
-
Y
j
closures such as vault doors, garage doors or
controlling mechanism for the` window illustrated
in Fig. 9, the parts being shown inY normal posi
bomb bay doors, automobile jacks, etc. by» power
units having suitable characteristics and capable
of remote control. However,_ considerations of
parts in the positions assumed during the lower
economy,lspace and weight have been effective
ing of the window;
deterrents.
Fig. 11 is a viewfsimilar to Fig. 10 showing the
y
1
> '
_
"
Fig. 12 is a semi-’diagrammatic showing of a
remote controlling -system` for a s'wing-ingmem
y
It is an object of the present invention to pro
vide a power unit which is capable of exerting -
ber such as a hinged skylight window;
adequate force f'or the intended purpose while
Fig. 13 is asectional View of a steamvactuated
motor system adapted fori use as a pump, the
parts being shown in their positions at the start
being of small, light', simple and: economical con
struction.
,
'
'
'
`It is another object to provide such a device
which is adapted for remote or automatic control.
It is a further object to provide such a device
which» is noisele'ss and free from vibration.
It is another object to provide such a device
which may easily be adapted for operation by
any common form of electrical energy.
of the power stroke;
' y
`
"
Fig.' 14 is a View similar to Fig. 13 showing the
parts at the endl of' the power stroke; and
Fig. 15 is a Sectional detail showing the method
of mounting the heater element for the boiler in
the wall of the container.
30
It is another object to provide such va device
which is especially adaptable for all uses in which
the power stroke ofthe device moves the load in
one direction, the return stroke being accom
'
u
In
1 of the drawing, there is illustrated a
cylindrical containerV l having fixed therein near
one end an elastic septum or partition Z dividing
the container into a small chamber and a large
chamber. A small amount of- a suitable vaporizi
plishedf with comparatively light resistance or by 35 ble liquid 3 is placed inthe small chamber, and
means of' _the reaction oi‘- the load. `
Further objects and advantages will be' ap
parent'from the following description taken in
~connection with the accompanying drawings, in
electrical- heating means are provided for boiling
the liquid so as to form steam. >The liquid may `
be heated either by a'> wire >resistance element
immersed therein, or when a conductive liquid is
which:
'
40 usedrit may be heatedv by passing a current there
Fig. 1 is a sectional view o1` a simple form of
through. This latter method has been found 'to
steam actuated motor embodying the principles
operate best with alternating' current since this
of the invention;
avoids .the generation- of ñXed gases. Various
Fig. 2 is` a similar view showing the actuated
liquids have been found suitable for the purpose.
motor near the end of ~its power stroke;
45 For eXmple, a solution 'of sodium- _carbonate` in
Fig. -3- is >a detail'in elevation of' an electrode
water has been found to be very satisfactory, par
constituting an element'of the electrical heating
ticularly in View of its non-corrosive nature,- and
means;
’
'
.
’
- Fig. 4 is a sectional View> of a steam actuated
motor embodying hydraulic transmission mech
amsin;
'
'
-
Fig. 5- is a section taken on the line 5-5 of
Fig: 4i
` Fig. 6. is a detail ofthe end closure of the con
tainer showing .the coolingñns;
its resistance to freezing. As here shown, means
are provided for conducting current throughv the
50 liquid 3 to boil it. This -means comprises an elec
trical circuit including any suitable source of
alternatingcurrent, not illustrated, which is con
veyed to the motor by means of conductors 4 and
5, one of said conductors including Aa manually
operable switch 6. The conductor 4 is connected
2,548,708
3
septum 2 and the cap 8.
4
resistance, the passage of current therethrough
causing almost instantaneous ebullition thereof.
to a binding post 1 fixed to a cap 8 forming the
end wall of the container I. The conductor 5'is
attached to a binding post 9 which traverses the
cap 8 and is insulated therefrom as indicated at
II. The binding post 9 connects with a disc
n shaped perforated electrode I2 (Fig. 3), the .pe
riphery of which is molded in a ring of insulating
material I3 clamped between the edge of th
The large chamber 22 is filled with a suitable
incompressible liquid such as the liquid used for
the hydraulic operation of automotive brakes.
This chamber is connected by a conduit 34 to
a cylinder 35 in which `is mounted a slidable
piston 36 arranged to be actuated by hydraulic
pressure in the cylinder and to transmit the force
thereof through a piston rod 31 to any desired
load device. It will be understood that the
'
A piston I4 is arranged to slide loosely within
the container I and is provided with a rod I5
which traverses a cylinder head IS threaded on
conduit 34 may be in the form of a tube of any
desired length and that a plurality of load de
vices may be simultaneously actuated by suit
ably manifolding the connecting means from the
chamber 22 to the actuating cylinders.
Means are preferably provided for automati
cally limiting the pressure developed in the steam
actuator. As best shown in Fig. 5, this is here
the body of the containenwhich rod is adapted
to operate any suitable load. If the device is used
to raise a weight or to overcome a yielding resist
ance, the piston will of course be returned to idle
position automatically. In other cases a spring
I1 may be employed to yieldingly hold the'piston
in contact with the septum 2.
In the operation of this embodiment of the 20 accomplished by insulating the binding post 3I
invention, closure of the manual switch lì com
as indicated at 38, and providing a ñxed con
pletes the circuit through the binding post 9, the
tact plate 39 which is normally engaged by a
electrode I2, the liquid 3 and the cap 8 to the
movable contact 4I mounted on the end of a
binding post 1. The resistance of the liquid is
flexible strip 42 which is connected as shown
such that it rapidly becomes heated to its boiling 25 at 43 to the wall of the chamber 2|. A pin 44
point, thus quickly producing steam which
is slidably mounted in an opening through the
stretches the septum 2 and moves the piston I4
as shown in Fig; 2. When the heating current is
interrupted, the boiling of the liquid ceases and
wall of chamber 22 in position to engage the
contact strip 42. Suitable flexible packing 45
is provided for preventing the escape of the
the steam rapidly condenses thus allowing the
piston to return to its idle position.
It will be understood that whether the heating
of the liquid is accomplished by using the liquid
hydraulic ñuid around the pin 44 while permit
ting its longitudinal movement responsive to the
pressure within the chamber 22. The spring
strip 42 is so designed'that it holds the contacts
4I, 39 in engagementuntil the pressure in cham
itself as the resistor, or'by a suitable metallic
resistor traversing the liquid, as above set forth, 35 ber 22 reaches a predetermined value whereupon
the small quantity of liquid involved causes the
the pin is actuated by said pressure to disengage
heating operation to take place quite rapidly so
said contacts, thus opening the heating circuit
that the generation of steam is almost instan
for the liquid 25 and thereby preventing a fur
ther rise in pressure within the container I8.
In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawing, the basic 40
In the operation of this embodiment of the
unit disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is employed to
invention, closure of the manual switch 33 causes
actuate a piston hydraulically whereby the device
rapid vaporization of the liquid 25 within the
to be operated may be at any convenient distance
chamber 2| whereby the pressure therein -moves
the septum I9 so as to force the liquid out of
from the motor and if desired a plurality of de
vices may be operated by one motor. As shown 45 chamber 22 into cylinder 35 whereby piston 3B
in Fig. 4, a container I8 of generally cylindrical
actuates the rod 31 to perform its function.
shape has a septum or elastic partition I9 mount
When the desired function has been accom
taneous.
`
plished, opening of switch 33 stops the vaporiza
ed near one end thereof so as to divide the in
tion of the liquid 25, whereupon it rapidly con
terior of the container into a small chamber 2I
and a large chamber 22. The small chamber is 50 denses, assisted by the heat radiation of the ñns
closed by an end plate 23 which may be provided
with cooling fins 24 to accelerate the cycling of
the device. A small amount of vaporizable liq
uid 25 is placed in the chamber 2l, and a ’disc
shaped perforated electrode 26 is mounted in said 55
24, whereupon the pressure within the container
I8 subsides, and the parts return to idle posi
tion either by virtue of the load imposed upon
the piston rod 31, or by means of a return spring
46 in the cylinder 35 bearing on the piston 36.
chamber so as to be in contact with the liquid
25. The electrode is provided with an insulat
may be adapted is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the
One use to which this form of the invention
ing mounting as indicated at 21, and is connected
actuator I8 may be mounted on a stationary
to an insulated binding post 281 which serves as
surface such as a Wall and adapted to open and
an attachment for a feed line 29. A second bind 60 close a door 20 through a thrust connection in
cluding a pressure cylinder 35 and a thrust rod
ing post 3l is mounted in the wall of the chamber
31. It will be noted that in the linkage' shown
2| and serves for attachment of a conductor 32
which completes the heating circuit through a
manually operable switch 33. _
The electrical circuit for the heater is best
illustrated in Fig. ’7 which shows a source of
electrical energy such as a battery 39 connected
the angle between the axis of the thruster 35
and the door strut is flatly obtuse so that the
thruster 35 will be under the highest pressure
when the linkage is in the most unfavorable
position for moving the door.
In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 of the drawing, appli
cant’s steam actuated motor is illustrated as in
70 corporated in a system for controlling a sliding
through the switch 33 and lead 29 to thehind
ing post 28. As above set forth, the electrical
current traverses the liquid between the elec
trode 28 and the casing 23, returning to the
member such as a window. As there shown, a
steam actuated motor indicated generally by
battery through the flexible strip 42, contacts
number 5I is mounted at one end on a fixed an
4I and 39, and lead 32.
chorage 52, the mounting connection being pref
The liquid 25 is ofthe conducting type de
scribed whereby it serves as its own heating 75 erably hinged as indicated at 53 in order to pro
5
2,548,708
vide- f'or possible misali’gnment or angular mount
ing of the reciprocating parts. The motor com
prises'- a. cylinder 54> closed at its lower end and
provided with a cup-shaped boiler chamber 55
containing a small amount of vaporizable liquid
56. An electrical» heater 51 is immersed in said
liquid and is arranged to> be energized by cur
rent supplied through a pair of leads 58> and 59.
The heater »is preferably cylindrical in- shape lwith
its axis parallel to the axis of the- hinge 59, and
the boiler- chamber 55 is conformed thereto and
provided with: flared sides so that» the actuator
maybe tilted through a large angle while. keep
ing the heater immersed in the liquid 56. A suit'
able cylindrical heater is illustrated- in greater
detail at |125 in Fig; 15 and it will be understood
that the heater 51 may preferably be of the type
illustrated in Fig. 15..
A piston. 6| is slidably mounted in the'I cylinder
6
whereby manipulation. of the.- crank in. a counter
clockwise direction will first. close contacts. 83,
85 and thereafter applyv force to the locking
member 81 to disengage it from. the window
sash. The counter-clockwise movement.- of; the
crank' 9| is limited by a stop pin 94.
In. the operationl of this' embodiment of the
invention,. the master switch 18y being closed, if
it. be desired> to raise the window> sash 1-|, the
push button 82 is operated to complete the cir
cuit to the heater 51. The liquid; 56 isy thereby
rapidly vaporized', causing a pressure in the
cylinder 54 which raises the piston 8|, and with
it the piston B2 whereby the rod~68 is caused
to move upward and raise the window sash by
means of thev thrust block 15..
When. the sash `
has been raised the desired amount, releaseI of
the push button 82v causes the heater 51 to `be `
deenergized whereupon the steam> in the Vcylin
54Y so as to be raised by steam pressure generated , 20 der 54 condenses andthe two pistons with the
bythe boiler. A second piston» member 62 is also
sli'dablyv mounted in the cylinder 5'4 above the
piston 6|. andY normally resting thereon, the. pis“
.ton |52> being provided'. with:A oppositely facing
packing cups 63 and 64, andv with a small». bl’eeder
'opening 55 whereby the pressures on both. sides
ofthe piston will be gradually equalized. The
upper end of the cylinder 54 is provided with a
head 61 formi-ng a.L bearingv guide for a. thrust rod
88 attached to the piston 62. The. head 61 is
also- provided with a small bleeder opening 6`9
forming; communication between theV upper end
of the cylinder 54 and the outsidev atmosphere..
rod- 68 return to their idle positions, the sash
being: retained in. its raised position by the wedg
ing action of the lock member 81.
Should the windowr be stuck in its lower posi
tion so that considerable pressure has to be built
Y up before it is forced to move, the actuator may
have a tendency to throw the sash upward. This
tendency is inhibited by the dashpot action of
the air trapped in the upper part of the cylinder
54 which can only escape through the restricted
opening B9'.
When. it is desired to lower the window sash,
thev crank 9| is manually rotated in a counter
v A window' sash 1'|f is. slidably mountedin. a win
clockwise direction up against the stop pin 9.4.
dow casing. 1l,` a: sill 13 of which
arranged di 35 This operationr first'closes contacts 83, 84 thus
rectly over the cylinder 5'4", and, is perforated
completing the heating circuit,-and tensions the
and provided with a bearing guide 1‘4' for the
spring 93 so as to apply a force to the lock. mem
thrust rod 88. The upper end> of the` rod‘ 68 has
ber 8i- tending to release it. vAt thisv time, how
a thrustc block 15- iixed thereon: which is adapted
ever, the weight of the sash 1| is supported. by
to engage the bottom of> the'window sash 1| and
the wedging action of the lock so that the lock
raise said sash when the piston 6:2 moves upward
is held ink engagement with the sash. In a
in> the cylinder 54. Preferably bearing 14» is
short time~„ however, steam. actuator 5| projects
formed to provide- a seat for the thrust block 15
the> thrust block 1.5 upward into engagement
so that said thrust block is normally flush with
with the bottom> of theV sash 1|, thus taking the
the.I surface of the window sill'.
45 weight of the sash from the lock member 81.
Means for energizing the heater; 51v isv pro
Thisl permits the loch to move into disengaging
vided comprising an electrical circuit' for sup
position as shown in Fig. 1l under theV action. of
plying current'to4 the leads; 5t, 59. As here shown,
the spring 93, which opens the contacts 83, 84
a supply main 161is-connected1to the lead 59 and
thereby' deenergizing the heating' circuit. The
the other- supply mai-n 11 is connected. through
consequent subsidence of the steam pressure in
a` master switch 18 to a lead 19 which is con
the actuator 5| permits the sash to be lowered
nected. to a; manual control panel indicated-.gen
until the operator releasesthe handle 9| where,
erally by numeral 8|». As best- seen4 in Fig. 10,
upon the spring 88 causes- the lock 81 to reengage
this control panel comprises a pushY button
the side of theV window sash 1| and prevent
switch 82 andv a pair of contacts 83, 84 in paral
further downward movement thereof.
lel therewith, either of said switching devices
The bleeder opening. 65 in the piston. 62: is pro»
being` adapted to connect the lead. '19Í to the lead
vided to control the downward movement of the
`58l to complete the electrical circuit for the
piston. 62' and permit it to come to rest in con"V
heater 51'..
tact witirthe piston" 6|, when the parts, are in
Contact 84 is mounted on an- arm< 85 pivoted
on a pin 85 iixed in the window cas-ing, and
formed on its» opposite end with a. wedging lock
member 81A adapted to engage. the window- sash
idle position.
means such. as a spring; 88..
The contact 83' is yieldingly mounted on an` arm
parts- thereof are similarly numbered. Inthis
In Fig. l2 of the drawing, there is illustrated
an embodiment of the- invention substantially
similar to Fig. 9 but ini'lhisV case the control ofthe
15|- and prevent downward movement thereof.
window lifter is arranged. tov be eiîectuated at
The locking member 81 is yieldingliy pressed into 65 any position remote therefrom. The motor it
l engagement with the window sash. by' suitable
self- is: the same as illustrated 'inFig 9, andthe
case, however', the window sash 95 is' illustrated
89 which is' also pivoted on the pin 85'- and is
as of the hingedv type pivoted to a casing at 95
`provided with> a crank handle 9| which pro‘îec'ts 70 andY having a suitable holding detent' member
vout? from ther window casing for manual opera
91.
tion. Pin 92 defines the idle position oi" the
The thrust rod 88 is pivoted to the sashA 95 as
crank 9 l', and a- spring 93A yieldingl-y connects said l shown'at' 98, and locking -means` areprovided for
crank with the lock member 81, the spring' 93
cooperation with said rodrather than with’the
being substantially stiffer than .the spring 88 75 sash itself'. As here shown, -thisI locking means>
m5118308
7
»tion/‘I |13 has av central opening I2| therethrough
whichÍ is arranged to be closed by a check valve
vmember |22. A boiler inthe form of a cup
shaped member '|23 is arranged beneath the
comprises a wedging member V95| pivoted at |0|
to the cylinder head 61, andY yieldingly pressed
into wedging engagement with the rod 68 by
means of a spring |02. The lock member 99 is
provided with an outwardly extending arm |03
check-valve |22. The opening of the cup is sur
rounded by a ñange |24 so arranged'that liquid
which is of magnetic material and is arranged
to be attracted by an electro-magnet |04 which
is sufficiently powerful to overcome the spring
|02 and hold the lock member 99l in retracted
flowing down from the upper chamber will iill
the boiler cup.
An electricalheater |25, best shown in Fig.
10 »15, is mounted in the cup |23 for the purpose of
position.
A contact |05 is mounted on the end of the
arm |03, insulated therefrom as indicated at |36,
and is adapted to engage a cooperating contact
|01 when the lock member 99 is in operative
position.
,
The electrical circuit for the heater 51 com
prises in this case the supply main líiwhich is
connected vby lead 59 to one side of the heater,
and the supply main 11 which is connected
through a push button switch |08 and lead |03 -
to the heater lead 58 to complete the heating
circuit.
The push button |98 is _accordingly
the “up” button.
A"“d_own” push button switch ||0 is connected
by a lead ||| to the supply main 11, and by a
lead ||2 to the contact |01. Contact |06 is
connected by a lead I i3 to the heater lead 58 so
that the “down” button switch H6 and contacts
|06, |01 are arranged in a circuit which is
shunted around the “up” button switch |66.
One side of the electro-magnet |04 is con
>nected by a lead ||4 to the supply main 1S, and
the other side of the electro-magnet is con
boiling the liquid therein. This heater com»
prises a cylindrical coil‘of resistance wire,l the
ends of 'which are mounted in binding post memi
bers |26 and |21 which are held in bushings |28,
‘|29 threaded -through the walls of the actuator.
The bushings |28, |29 are slightly larger in ex
terior diameter than the outside diameter of the
heater |25 whereby removal of the bushings per'
mits the heater to be Withdrawn axially from
the motor for convenient service or replacement.
The lower portions of chambers H8, ||9 are
connected by a by-pass conduit |3| which con
duit may be provided with cooling iins |32 to
accelerate the cycling of the device. A piston
|33 is slidably mounted in the upper chamber
| I9 and is provided with any suitable form of
packing. As here illustrated, the packing func
tionv is performed by a flexible septum |34 which
is attached to the piston and is clamped beneath
the cylinder head |35 which forms the closure
for the upper chamber H9. An inlet fitting |36
with a check valve |31 and an outlet fitting |38
with a check valve |39 are mounted in the cyl‘
inder'head |35 whereby reciprocation of the pis
nected at ||5 to the lead ||2.
.
-"In the operation of this embodiment' ofthe 35 ton |33 'causes liquid to be alternately admitted
'through the- inlet |36 and -ejected througnthe
invention, starting with the parts in idle posi«
tion as illustrated, if it is desired to open the
outlet "138.
’
'
Means for automatically controlling 4the heater
window sash 95, the operator closes the “up”
v|25 are provided‘in the form of an electrical
button switch |08 which completes the electrical
circuit through the heater 51 thereby boiling the 40 circuit comprising a pair of spring contacts |40,
|4| connected to binding posts'l42, |43 mounted
liquid 56 and causing the piston 6| to move the
on‘the top of the‘cylinder head |35, said con'
piston 62 and rod 58 so as to raise the sash.
tacts being adapted to cooperate with a bridging
When the sash has been opened the desired
contact |44 mounted on a cylinder of insulating
amount, release of the push button |68 allows
the steam pressure to subside whereupon the a material |45. Thef cylinder |45 is slidably
mounted on a rod |46 which extends upwardly
piston 6| returns to idle position, but piston 62
from‘the piston |33, and is slotted 'axially as
and rod 68 are held in adjusted position by the
shown at |41 to permit the upper end |48 of said
lock member 99.
.rod to" project radially therefrom; Adjustable
When it is desired to lower the window, closure
of the “down” push button switch ||0 causes '
stop members |49 and 15| are threaded on the
energization of the heater 51 through contacts
|06, |01, and at the same time energizes the
electro-magnet |04. The latter, however', is un
able to release the lock 99 due to the wedging
action of the weight of the window sash. When
ends 0f the member |45 in position to be engaged
by the out-turned end |46 of rod |46 as the pis
ton |33 .approaches the end of its stroke. -The
the pressure in the motor 5| has been built up
connect theV contacts -| 40, |4| through the con
member ' |45 is thus caused to move axiallya
short distance toV alternately connect and dis
tact '144.-' ` The' electrical circuit which energizes
sufficiently, the piston 6| lifts the'weight of the
the heater |25 comprises a supply main l|52, lead
sash from the lock member 99, thus permitting
|53 connected to binding post |26- of the heater,
the electro-magnet |04 to retract said member,
at the saine time opening contacts |06, |01. The 60 lead |54 connected to heater binding post |21,
’normally 'open relay contacts |55, |56, lead |51,
heating circuit is thereby broken, whereupon the
manual switch |58 and supply main |59.
pressure within the motor diminishes, permit
Means for controlling the relay contacts |55',
ting the window to be lowered. The lowering
|56 is provided in the form of an electro-mag
of the window will continue until the down but
net |6-| connected at |62 to the supply main |52,
ton ||0 is released by the operator, thus deener-and by a lead |63 to the control switch binding
gizing the electro-magnet |04. The lock 99
post |43. Binding post |42 is connected >by a
thereupon reengages the rod 68 under the action
lead |64 to a high-pressure circuit breaker' |65.
of the spring |02, and immobilizes the window.
This circuit breaker comprises contacts |66, |61
In Figs. 13, i4 and 15, applicant’s steam ac
tuated motoris illustrated in a form adapted to 70 which are normally closed but which are opened
produce continuous reciprocatory movement to
perform the functions of‘- a pump.
As there
shown, the motor comprises a cylinder | I6 which
is divided by a partition ||1 into a lower cham
by a plunger |68 responsive to excessive pressure
within the chamber H8. The relay circuit is
completed by a lead |69 which connects the cir
cuit breaker |65 to the supply lead |51.
_ber |_|8> and an upper chamber I |__9. @Che _partie 1,5 >In the operation of this embodimentof- their):
2554!@708
i9
l0
.
vention, ‘a‘t `the startof the p'ower stroke'as illus
means «for controllingxthe heating current >sto
tra-ted in yFig. 13., >the Ácheck valve =|22 is open,
the Alfieat‘er |25 is deenergized, the Alower chamber
||'8 is substantially ñlled with liquid, and the pis
ton ‘|33 is ïat'the bottom of its stroke, the charn
ber ||9 above the .piston b‘eing ñlled `with 'liquid
Vto be pumped. -Clos‘urefof the >switch |58 causes
energization 'of the relay4 |5| since contacts |48,
|41, |44 -are closed. VClosure of relay contacts
thereby control :actuation of the piston, Vafsec
0nd,;piston in V.the _cylinder adapted -to Y be »moved ~
by the ñrst piston, VV»means including ¿a> rod ¿con
necting the xsecond :piston vtoa load, -locking :means
preventing r>reti-n_n imo-vement „ of
the
-ïload
after actuation ,-thereof, and mea-ns >for vreleas
ing the >lock,,including,further `a closure l-îfor the
cylinder having a restricted opening :cooperat
ing with said 'second piston to «act as a'dashpot >to
|55, |56 causes energization of the .heater |25,
whereupon the liquid Ywithin the boiler cup |23
control the return `movement 1of, lthe load. `
y2. Means for transforming electrical lenergy
quickly assumes a state of violent `ebullitionl The
evolved steam pushes the-«check valve |22 'up
into mechanical-¿force _including a chamber Ícon
taining ~a Ismail «amount vfof vaporizable viliquid,
against the Áopening |21| `in 'the .partition l il 1», vand
»the vconsequ_.`e"nt'_‘t'ral'iìoingfof ‘the >steam in the up
p'e'r part 'of the chamber ||'8 causes the liquid
therein ïto be ¿forced ont through the :by-.pass `|.-3'|
into the lower part of ‘the upper chamber .ifi-9,
causingithe piston |33l to move upward and force
the liquid »above ïth'e' l'piston out through the out
electrical heating fmeansgfor said liquid, -a cylin
der adjacent ‘the .fc-hamber, ¿a piston vin ísaid cylin
der movable by the pressure generated è'by va
porization “of the =liquid y'by the heating `*currt-ïnt,
means Jfor >controlling,the heating currentto
thereby çc'ontrîol .actuation of ‘the ,'piston, îa/sec
ond `‘pi'sztoqußi'n theV cylinder adapted to `~be inoved
let |38. During this stroke, the friction encount
ered by the liquid flowing through the by-pass
13| provides suii'icient Ldifferential in pressure be
by the ñrst piston, means includingga rod icon-‘
tween the lower and upper chambers to hold the
means :preventingreturn -rnovement o'f the lo'ad
check valve |22 firmly seated against the parti
after actuation thereof, and :means for releasing
the lock, including further ineans for closing
the heating circuit and applying lIforce to ‘the
lock to -release it, and ï'meansres'pcns’ive .to _re
lease of the lock Vfor opening the heating ïcircuit.
tion ||1.
nect'ing the 'second ¿piston to -a- load, vlocking
'
When the piston |33 approaches1 the end ci Tits
stroke, the end |48'of the rod |46 engagesthe
'stop member |49, nthus »raising »the cylinder 145
and breaking the-connection between contacts 30
|40, |4|.l The relay »i6-I 'ïis'tliu's deenergized,
causing contacts |-55,"-|56 toopen and permit the
heater |25 to -cocl off.
_
Y
l
y
' As soon ‘as the pressure fin the ïlower -chamber
3. In vva `.devicei‘or «actuating a Emovable mein
b'er, a cylinder havinga `small quantity ofva'
porizable liquid therein, Van ïelect’rical, heating
means `for vaporizing said iiquid', a piston in -the
cylinder ïadapted to `the v-rnoved by the vapor .prese
becomes equalized with the pressure in the upper 35 sui-‘e therein, means Ä‘for ‘transmitting the move;
ment -o’f the piston to `said movable inembena
chamber, 'the check valve |232 falls, thus per-mit
lock preventing return movement :of said' `inem
ting the liquid in the upper chamber to flow-down
ber, Van electrical circuit for said heating Vimeans
into the lower -chamber »condensing the steam
including a îmanual switch, land a zshunt :circuit
therein and refilling the b‘ói‘lerc'u-p |23. The con
including ‘a pair ci ,cone
sequent further vreduction in `1pïrëssure causes' the -10 for rsaid heatingA
tacts so associated with said lock that release
piston |33 to be moved down to the lower end
of its stroke, whereupon the end |48 of the rod
|46 engages the lower stop |5| and moves the con
tact |44 into engagement with contacts |40, |4|,
of the lock opens said contacts; including fur
ther, manually controlled means for applying
force to the lock tending to release it, and at
whereupon a new pumping cycle is started. The
the same time closing the shunt circuit to
pumping operation therefore continues >so, long
energize the heating means.
‘v as the manual switch |58 remains closed.
i,
'
4. In a device for actuating a movable mem
ber, a cylinder having a small quantity of va
Condensation of the steam in the lower cham
porizable liquid therein, an electrical heating
ber at the surface of the liquid therein during
the power stroke has not been found to be of 50 means for Vaporizing said liquid, a piston in the
cylinder adapted to be moved by the vapor pres
serious consequence. If, however, it be desired
to reduce such condensation, this may be ac
complished by the use of a floating diaphragm in
the lower chamber such as indicated> at |'||.
When the cooling ñns |32 are used on the by
, sure therein, means for transmitting the move
- ment of the piston to said movable member, a
lock
preventing
return
movement
of
said
55 member, an electrical circuit for said heating
pass |3|, the temperature of the liquid is kept
down, whereby the condensing elîect of the liquid
' means including a manual switch, and a shunt
during the inlet stroke of the pump is accelerat
of contacts so associated with said lock that re
Acircuit for said heating means including a pair
lease of the lock opens said contacts, in which
ed, thus increasing the rapidity of the pump
ing operation.
00 said contacts are normally closed, and the shunt
, circuit includes a second manual switch; and
Although certain embodiments of the inven
'electromagnetic means controlled by said sec
tion have been shown and described in detail,
other embodiments are possible and various
changes may be made in the design and arrange
ment of the parts without departing from the
spirit of the invention. as deñned in the claims
appended hereto.
ond manual switch for applying a force tending
to release the lock and open said contacts.
5. A steam actuated pump including a con
tainer having an upper chamber and a lower
chamber separated by a fixed partition having
an opening therethrough, a check valve prevent
ing now of liquid up through the opening, an»
into mechanical force including a chamber con 70 electrically heated boiler in the upper part of
taining a small amount of vaporizable liquid,
the lower chamber, a conduit connecting thel low
electrical heating means for said liquid, a cylin
er parts of said chambers, a movable pis
der adjacent the chamber, a piston in said cylin
ton in the upper chamber, a conduit having an
der movable by the pressure generated by va
inlet check valve admitting liquid to be pumped
porization of the liquid by the heating current, 6 into the upper chamber, and a discharge con
What is claimed is:
1. Means for transforming electrical energy
2,548,708
I2
duit having an outlet check-valve, both conduits
being connected to the upper part of the upper
chamber, a vaporizable liquid in the lower cham
berfand boiler, and an electrical circuit for va
porizing liquid in the boiler whereby closure of
the ñrst mentioned check valve causes the vapor
pressure produced by the boiler to force the
vaporizable liquid through the ñrst mentioned
boiler in the cylinder, a small quantity of v`a~
porizable liquid in the cylinder in-contact >with
said boiler arranged when vaporized to move the
piston away from the boiler; means cooperat
ing with said piston to form a dashpot control
ling the movement of the piston, locking means
holding the member in adjusted position, kan
electrical circuit for heating the boiler _includeA
ing a manual switch, means including an elec
conduit into the upper chamber beneath said
10 tromagnet for releasing the locking means, and
piston so as to force the piston upwardly.
means for energizing the electromagnet in
6. A steam actuated pump as set forth in claim
cluding a second manual switch.
‘
5 in which said electrical heating circuit in
11. A steam-actuated motor vas set forth in
cludes contacts, and means for opening said con
claim 10 including further means whereby clo
tacts when the movable piston approaches the
sure of the second manual switch completes an
end ,of 4its upward stroke, and for closing said
electrical circuit for heating the boiler, and
contacts when it approaches the end of its down
means whereby release of the locking means
ward stroke.
A
_ '7. A steam actuated pump as set forth in claim
breaks said heating circuit.
5 inwhich said boiler is in the form of a cup
JOHN W. DICKEY.V
located beneath the opening in the fixed par 20
tition so as to be iilled by liquid pouring through
the opening.
8. A steam actuated pump as set forth in claim
5 in which said conduit is constricted so that
when liquid is passing therethrough from the
lower chamber to the upper chamber, there will
be a differential in pressure between said cham
bers suflicient to hold said check valve closed.
9. Asteam actuated pump as set forth in claim
5 .inV which' said boiler comprises a cylindrical
REFERENCES CITED
f The following references are of record in the
file of this patent;
'
UNITED STATES PATENTS
Number
Name
Date
`386,557
1,186,402
1,487,946
Roberts __________ __ July 24, 1888
Irelan ______ __»_____ vJune 6, 1916
,
Johnson ________ __ Mar. 25, 1924
heater element traversing the chamber, and
1,643,523
Sauvage ____ _______ Sept. 27, 1927
mounting and packing means therefor in the op
posite sides of the container which are at least
1,660,959
1,721,584
- Goodhue et al _____ __ Feb. 28, 1928
Andersen ___ ______ __ July 23, 1929
as large in diameter as said heater element so
1,779,514
1,826,273
Smith et al ________ __ Oct. 28, 1930
Christiansen _____ __ Oct. 6, 1931
1,836,813
1,881,964
Rankin __________ __ Dec. 15, 1931
Persons ______ _____ Oct. 11, 1932
2,241,620
2,389,067
2,433,493
Shoeld _ _________ __ May 13, 1941
Lieberman ____ ____»_. Nov. 13, 1945
Turner ___________ __ Dec. 30, 194'.’`
that removal of the mounting means permits 35
withdrawal and replacement of the element
through the side wall of the container.
10. In a steam actuated motor for moving a
member to be adjusted, a cylinder, a piston
slidably mounted therein, an electrically heated 40