Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-01
TEAL,S ROTARY ENGINE.
A Triumph OfInventive Genius-sOnse-
thing About the Principle ON which
IG Works.

A Triumph OfInventive Genius-SOme-
thing About the Principle on which
It Works.
We have on several occasions since the
opening Of the Exposition and once before
taken some notice of j. II. Teal's Rotary
Engine, fox which letters patent were OBJ
tanned in August last. The specimen at
the Exposition, the only one that Mr.. Teal
has built, has been in operation every day,
and although important Improvements have
already suggested themselves to the inven-
tor, has proved in every respect successful.
1t is awakening serious interest with per-
sons versed in mechanics, and we are con-
iident that, unless the general belief in re-
gard to it is ill-fOunded-an and every appear
ance is against this contingency, Nashville
viii be able to boast one of the greatest in
yentions Of the age.
We take pleasure in publishing the fol-
lowing communication from our we'll
known fellow-citizen, Mr.. Craighead,
which gives very clear idea Of the merits
of the engine. We gave some description
of its construction in yesterdays UNION
AND AMERICAN:
To the Union and American:
Every appliance that science has been
able to supply seems to have been used to
obyiate the fundamental objection to recip-
rocating steam engines. To persons not
acquainted with mechanics, il may be
A l. II - Of
kind (and no other sort up to this time has
been successfully there is what is called
''dead points" meaning that in every reyo-
luton there is a stOppage, as still as if the
machine was blasted by lightning; to be
sure the period Of stoppage is too brief to
be noticed by the senses, or to be measured
by the most accurate FrOudsham time
piece, but the fact IS not the less mathe-
matically true. Mechanical inventors have
exerted their talents ever since the first ap-
plicatiOn of steam to machinery, to obyiate
this evil, which can only be done by what
is called a rOtary-engine.
In an ordinary OYeTshOt wateT-wheei, the
power is obtained by pouring a continuous
stream Of water into boxes Called buckets)
framed ON the outer rim of the wheel, thus
producing rotary motion in the wheel by
the spOkes. These buckets emptying them
selves by becoming inverted at the lower
part of the wheel, relieves the ascending
rim of weight. This motion is continuous
IS long rs an adequate amount of water is
supplied, and has no ''dead point" The
question with inventors was, whether steam
could be used economically in the same
manner, not requiring its weight however,
k,.e l1ar tf,f
Dor when escaping from confinement. The
first experiment Of this kind the writer ever
saw was exhibited about forty years ago by
a Mr.. Brown, an ingenious mechanic of
this city Gather of Nat. Brown, proprietor
of the celebrated Nashville Bellows Fac
tOFy.) His continuance was a pipe bent
in a circle around and at some
little distance from a wheel with fanges
or ssfiutters;" from the inner side Of the
ctirfcd pipe, projected in an inclined direc-
ton towards ths fiutters, series of small
tubes like ordinary gss burners, from
which continuous Jets of steam impinged
ON the wheel, producing rapid motion in
the unIOaded machine, but developing very
little power for the amount Of steam con-
sufnsd. u was plain that the steam must
be confined In order to use il economically.
The second experiment s=hieh came under
the notice of the writer, was an engine III
vented by Mr.. Stewart, and used by him
for a period of time at his saw mill near
old TYree Springs, in Sumner county, about
twenty miles from Nashville. This was
about TWENTY-FIVE years ago. Stewar's
continuance consisted Of a pair Of offenders
working into each other by eOes and en-
closed in a steam-tight chest, steam being
introduced into the top Of the chest, forced
the cylinders apart, aud passing around
with them. ESCAPED at the bott2m, and a
continual supply Of steam kept
the motion as regular as that Of
= water wheel. but experiment
proved that the supply Of steam required
was too extrava9arft tor the amount Of
work performed. Since that time, many
projects have been alluded to and discussed
by the scientific journals, but none seem to
hsve been successful; vet the writer has new
err despaired Of seeing the problem solved, |
sud I've nov believes that it has been done,
and by one 81 orr own citizens.
If the stream supplying an ordinary |
oyershOt water-wheel should prove made |
duate to the requirement of the machinery |
depending upon it, and some one could dis |
esyer that so soon as the buckets are half |
flied with water, the contents of each |
bucket could, bJ some device and without |
expense, be doubled in weight. If IS plain |
that one half the amount of water would |
do the work which was intended |
to be done by full buckets. Something |
analogous to this has been done with steam |
I'm all engines for many years properly |
speakins, steam is worked in all engines, |
extensively. The problem for those striy-
inc to invent rotary engines was also to |
use steam expansiyely, and this has been
done successfully by Mr.. Teal, an mtelli-
gent mechanic Of this city, and ms engine |
is now on exhibition, in working order al
the Exposition. IL would be impossible to
explain without drawings, this application
of steam. at least in a more lucid manner
tlian was done in your Exposition article OF
"Wednesday.
But what is the great benefit to be OBJ
tanned by rotary engines? IL Is eontinu-
Gus, uninterrupted motion in its simplest
form. ANY one who has noticed the action
of the wheels of one of our river steamers,
will remember the irTegularity OF motion
which is inherent in all reciprOcatlne /
engines, but which from the slOwness OF the
fiction. is readily observed in large marine
engines, and which may be described rs TWO
comparatively rapidmOvementsa ndtwoslOW
ones in every revolution. If an engine ON |
the rotary principle is successful, we shall
have a continuous, smooth motion, without |
pause or change, so long as the resistance |
cOutirues the same. No one who has tray /
eled on an ocean or lake steamer driven by |
a propeller will ever forget the dreadful |
humping or throbbing PRODUCED BY the re-
ciprOcating action of the pistOns acting on |
short cylinders. A rotary engine in Its ac- |
ton viii be smooth and regular, and, when |
connected With the propeller, will be free |
from the continuous lar and shock, which |
are alike wearing to the vessel and tor
menting to the passenger.
The value of the rotary principle, when
applied to steam fire engines, and particIi-
larly to locomotives, is too manifest to re
qrrfre a word If Mr. Teal has succeeded,
as the writer believes he has, Nashville may
we'll be proud Of him and his great inven-
ton. JAMES b. CRAIGHEAD.