(No Model.

)
N. TESLA.

'

RBGlPRooATING ENGINE.

Patented Peb. 6, 1894.

NQ. 514,169.

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n UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEs i

NIKOLA TESLA, OF

YORK, N. Y.

RECIPROCATING ENGINE.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,169, dated February 6, 1894.
Application filed August 19, 1893. Serial No. 483,563- (No model.)

T0 M_Z whom it may concern.

where reciprocating engines or tools have been

Be 1t known that I, NIKOLA TESLA, a citizen used without a rotating system of great iner

of the United States, residing at New York, tia, no attempt, so far as I know, has been 55
in the county and State-of New York, have in made to secure conditions which would nec
_vented certain new and useful Improvements essarily yield such results as I have reached.
1n Reciprocating Engines, of which the fol
It is a well known principle that if a spring
lowing is a specification, reference being had possessing a sensible inertia be brought un
tothe drawing accompanying and forming a der tension, as by being stretched, and then
. part of the same.
[O

freed it will perform vibrations which are

In the invention'which forms the subject of isochronous and, as to period, in the main de
my present application, my object has been, pendent upon the rigidity of the spring, and
primarily to provide an engine, which under its own inertia or that of the system of which
the influence of an applied force such as the

- elastic tension of steam or gas under pressure

it mayv form an immediate part.

This is

65

known to be true in all cases where the force .

will yield an oscillatory movement which, vwhich tends to bring the spring or movable
_within very wideV limits, will be of constant system into a given position is proportionate
period, irrespective of variations of load, fric to the displacement.
'
tional losses and other factors which in all

In carrying out my invention and for secur 70

ordinary engines produce change in the rate ing the objects in general terms stated above,
of reciprocation.
I employ the energy of steam or gasunder
The further objects of the invention are to pressure, acting through proper mechanism,
provide a mechanism, capable of converting to maintain in oscillation a piston, and, tak
the energy of steam or gas under pressure ing advantage of the law above stated, I con
into 'mechanical power more economically nect with said piston, or cause to act upon it,

25 than the forms of engine heretofore used,

a spring, under such conditions as to auto

parts possessing great inertia of a reci procat

power im pelled piston, and the natural vibra

chiefly by overcoming the losses whichresult matically regulate the period of the vibra
in these by the combination with rotating tion, so that the alternate impulses of the

ing system; which also, is better adapted for tions of the spring shall always correspond y
30 use at higher temperatures and pressures, andl

in direction and coincide in time.

which is capable of useful and practical ap-;

Vhile, in- the practice of the invention I
plication to general industrial purposes, par may employ any kind of spring or elastic body
ticularly insmall> units.
of which the law or principle of operation 85
The invention is based upon certain well above defined holds true, I prefer to use an
35 known mechanical principlesa statement of air spring, or generally speaking a confined
which will assist in a better understanding body or cushion of an elastic fluid, as the rne
of the> nature and purposes of the objects chanical diiculties in the use of ordinary or
sought and results obtained. Heretofore, metallic springs are serious, owing mainly, to 90
where the pressure of steam or any gas has their tendency to break. Moreover, instead
been utilized and applied for the production of permitting the piston to impinge directly
of `mechanical motion it has been customary upon such cushions within its own cylinder,
to connect with the reciprocatingor moving I prefer, in- order to avoid the iniiuence of the
parts of the engine a fly-wheel or some rotary Varying pressure of the steam or gas that acts 95
system equivalent in its effect and possessing upon the piston and which might disturb the
45 relatively great mechanical inertia, upon relations necessary for the maintenance of
>which dependence was mainly placed for the isochronous vibration, and also to better util
s maintenance of constant speed. This, whilel izethe heat generated by the compression, to
securing in a measure this obj ect, renders im employ an independent plunger ` connected IDO
possible the attainment of the result at which with the main piston, and a. chamber or cyl
50 I have arrived, and is attended by disadvan inder therefor, containing air which is nor

tages which by my invention are entirely ob mally, at the same pressure as the external v
viated. On the other-__hand, in certain cases, atmosphere, for thus a spring of practically

514,169
To explain now the operation ot' the device
constant rigidity is obtained, but the air or
gas within the cylinder may be maintained above described. In the position of the parts
at any pressure.
shown, or when the piston is at the middle
In order to describe the best manner of point of its stroke, the plunger J is at the 70
which I am aware in which the invention is
or may be carried into effect, I refer now to

the accompanying drawing which represents

in central cross-section an engine embodying

my improvements.
IO

A is the main cylinder in which works a

piston B. Inlet ports O C pass through the

sides of the cylinder, opening at the middle

portion thereof and on opposite sides. Ex
haust ports D D extend through the walls of
the cylinder and are formed with branches
that open into the interior of the cylinder on
each side of the inlet ports and on opposite

center of the cylinder I and the air on both

sides of the same is at the normal pressurew
ot' the outside atmosphere. If a source of
steam or compressed air be then connected

to the inlet ports C C of the cylinder A and 75

a movement be imparted to the piston as by
a sudden blow, the latter is caused to recip
rocate in a manner well understood.

The

movement ot' the piston in either direction

ceases when the force tending toimpel it and
the momentum which it has acquired are

counterbalanced by the increasing pressure

through openings G in the piston with the

ot' the steam or compressed airin that end of

the cylinder toward which it is moving and
as in its movement the piston has shut ott at
a given point, the pressure that impelled it
and established the pressure that tends to re

cylinder on opposite sides of said piston re

turn it, itis then impelled in the opposite di~

sides of the cylinder.

The piston B is formed with two circumfer

ential grooves E F, which communicate

spectively.

I do not consider as ot special importance

rection, and this action is continued as long

as the requisite pressure is applied. The 90
movements of the piston compress and rarity
the air in the cylinder I at opposite ends of

25 the particular construction and arrangement

of the cylinder, the piston and the ports for
controlling it, except that it is desirable that the same alternately. A forward stroke com
all the ports, and more especially, the ex

presses the air ahead of the plunger J which

haust ports should be made very much larger acts as a spring to return it. Similarly on 95
30 than is usually the case, so that no force due the back stroke the air is compressed on the
to the action of the steam or compressed air opposite side of the plunger J and tends to
will tend to retard or aect the return of the drive it forward. This action of the plunger
piston in either direction.
upon the air contained in the opposite ends
The piston B is secured to a piston rod H, of the cylinder is exactly the same in princi IOO
35 which works in suitable stuffing boxes in the ple as though the piston rod were connected
heads of the cylinder A. This rod is pro to the middle point of a coiled spring, the
longed on one side and extends through bear
ings V in a cylinder I suitably mounted or

ends of which are connected to fixed supports.

supported in line with the first, and within

sidered as asingle spring. The compressions 105

which is a disk or plunger J carried by the

Consequently the two chambers may be con

of the air in the cylinder I and the conse

rod I-I.

quent loss of energy due mainly to the im

The cylinderI is without ports 'of any kind perfect elasticity ot the air, give rise to a very

and is air-tight except as a small leakage may

considerable amount of heat.

This heat I

occur through the bearings V, which experi

utilize by conducting the steam or compressed

45 ence has shown need not be fitted with any air to the engine cylinder through the cham
very considerable accuracy. The cylinder I ber formed by the jacket surrounding the air
is surrounded by a jacket K which leaves an spring cylinder. The heat thus taken up and
open space or chamber around it.

The bear~

IIO

used to raise the temperature of the steam or

ings V in the cylinder I, extend through the air acting upon the piston is availed of to in x15
50 jacket K to the outside air and the chamber crease the etliciency of the engine. In any
between the cylinder and jacket is made given engine of this kind the normal press
steam or air tight as by suitable packing.
The main supply pipe L for steam or com

pressed air leads into this chamber, and the

55 two pipes that lead to the cylinder A run
from the said chamber, oil cups M being con

veniently arranged to deliver oil'into the said

pipes for lubricating the piston.

ure will produce a stroke of determined

length, and this will be increased or dimin
ished according tothe increase of pressure
above or the reduction of pressure below the
normal.
In constructing the apparatus I allow for a

120

variation in the length of stroke bygiving to

In the particular form of engine shown,the the con lining cylinder I of the air spring [25
jacket K which contains the cylinder I is pro properly determined dimensions. The greater
vided with a iiange N by which it is screwed the pressure upon the piston, the higher will
to the end of the cylinder A. A small cham be the degree of compression of the air-spring,
ber O is thus formed which has air vents l? and the consequent counteracting force upon
in its sides and drip pipes Q leading out from the plunger. The rate or period of recipro
65 it through which the oil which collects in it cation of the piston however is no more de~
is carried o. '
pendent upon the pressure applied to drive

514,169
it, than would be the period ofoscillation of istics of the engine render it especially adapt
a pendulum permanently maintained in vi ed for use in small sizes or units.
bration, upon the force which periodically
Having now described my invention, what
impels it, the effect of variations in such force I claim is"
UL

being merely toproduce corresponding vari

l. A reciprocating engine comprising in 65

ations in the length of stroke or amplitude of combination, a cylinder, a piston anda spring
"Vibration respectively. The period is mainly connected with or acting upon the reciprocat

>determined by the rigidity of the air spring ing element, the said spring and reciprocating
IO

and the inertia of the moving system, and I element being related in substantially the
may therefore secure any period of oscilla manner described so that the forces which tend 70
tion within very wide limits by properly por to bring the reciprocating parts into a given
tioning these factors, as by varying the di position are proportionate to the displace
mensions of the air chamber which is equiva ments, whereby an isochronous vibration is
lent to varying the rigidity of the spring, or obtained.

by adjusting the weight of the moving parts.

2. A reciprocating engine comprising in 75

These conditions are all readily determina` combination, a cylinder, a piston impelled by
ble, and an engine constructed as herein de steam or gas under pressure, and an air spring
scribed may be made to follow the principle maintained in vibration by the movements of
of- operation above stated and maintain a the piston, the piston and spring being related
perfectly uniform period through very much in substantially the manner described so that

wider limits of pressure than in ordinary use, the forces which tend to bring the recipro
it is ever likely to be subjected to and it may cating parts into a given position are pro
be successfully used as a prime mover wher portionate to the displacements whereby an
ever a constant rate of voscillation or speed is isochronous vibration is obtained.
3. The combination of a cylinder anda pis 85
25 required, provided the limits Within which
the forces tending to bring the moving'sys ton adapted to be reciprocated by steam or
tem'to a given position are proportionate to gas under pressure, a cylinder and a plunger
the displacements, are not materially ex therein reciprocated bythe piston and consti
ceeded. The pressure of the air confined in tuting an air spring acting upon said piston,
the cylinder when the plunger J is in its the piston and spring being related in the 90

central position will always be practically manner described so that the forces which

that of the surrounding atmosphere, for While tend to bring the piston into a given position
thecylinder is so >constructed as not to per are proportionate to the displacement where
mit such sudden escape of air as to sensibly
35 impair _or modify the action of the air spring
there will still be a slow leakage of air into or
out of lit around the piston rod according to
the pressure. therein, so that the pressure-of
the air on opposite sides of the plunger will
always tend to remain at that of the outside
i atmosphere.

As an instance of the uses to which this en

gine may be applied I have shown its piston

rod connected with a pawl R the oscillation
45 of which drives a train of wheels. These may
>constitute the train of a clock or of any other

mechanism. The pawlR is pivoted at R

and its bifurcated end 'engages with the teeth
of the ratchet Wheel alternately von oppo

by an isochronous oscillation of the piston is

`
95
4. The combination of a cylinder and a pis
ton adapted to be reciprocated by steam or
gas under pressure, a cylinder and piston con
stituting an air spring connected with the
piston, a jacket forming a chamber around IOO
the air spring through which the steam- or
compressed gas is passed on its way to the
cylinder, as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The method of producing isochronous
movement herein described,which consists in 105
reciprocating a piston by steam or gas under
pressure and controlling the rate or period of
reciprocation by the vibration of a' spring, as

obtained.

set forth.

6. The method of operating areciprocating

at each half oscillation acting to propel the engine which consists in reciprocating a pis
wheel forward through the space of one tooth ton, maintaining by the movements of the pis
when it is engaged and locked by the other , ton, the vibration of an air spring and apply
~ endon the last half of the oscillation which ing the heat generated by the compression of
55 brings the first end into position to engage the spring to the steam vor gas driving the

50 site sides of the same, one end of the pawl

with another tooth.

piston.

Another application of the invention is to

move a conductor in a magnetic field for gen

NIKOLA TESLA.
Witnesses:

erating electric currents, and in these and

PARKER W. PAGE,

similar uses it is obvious that the character

R. F. GAYLoRD.