The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-08
ANOTHER ROTARY ENGINE
ELISHA SEYMOUR SAYS HE HAS
SOLVED DIFFICULT PROBLEM.
Direct Impact Of Steam Upon the Mo-
tor Agency Expected to Revolu-
tionixe the Old Methods.
Chicago Times-Herald-


to instruments of locomotion.
Mr.. Seymour made a very successful test
of his engine the early part of last week in
the presence of curious and highly inter-
ested throng OF Chicago business men and
steamboat and railway engineers. He easily
demonstrated how he had been able to solve
the problem Of utilizing all the expansive
force of steam. The party was on board Of
the steam launch Zizara, which was driven
by the mechani invented and built by the
aged inventor. The little craft was pro-
PEELED at the rate Of fifteen miles an hour
out on the lake. and would have made bet
ter time, it is claimed. had not the boiler
been faulty.
1t is Mr.. Seymour's intention to construct
yacht built entirely on speed lines which
will be equipped with an engine with power
enough to drive ii through the water at the
rate Of thirty-fve miles an hour. Secretary
of the Navy Long, prominent engineers and
naval officers will be invited to witness
run. The inventor hopes to prove to the
world that his machine is far superior TO
the turbine now being used in the construc-
ton of the English torpedo boats.
This engine will mark revolution in me-
chanics unrivaled since the advent of the
steam engine" said a prominent engineer
after the trial. Marvel after marvel was re-
vealed to them, and after the demonstra-
ton each Of the witnesses declared that
what they had seen left no doubt in their
minds that the turbine engine is invented
by Mr.. Seymour was destined 10 revolution
ize the industries Of the world.
In order to understand precisely what the
Seymour steam turbine represents in the ad-
should be understood that it is in effect
rotary engine. and furthermore rotary
engine is what inventors for half century
been more or less for the ignis fatuus OF me-
chanical engineering. The thing aimed at
In nutshell has been to produce an engine
in which the impact of the steam should be
directly upon the motor agency itself in
stead of, as at present communicating the
force derived from the steam to the latter
Dy the means or driving rod.
GREAT SAVING OF STEAM.
There was further, the question of econo-
my In condensation. The loss of power, not
to speak of the wear and tear upon the en-
gine itself. from rapid alternate heating and
cooling has been one of the standing prob
lens OF steam-engine construction, and TO
reduce this loss resort has been made to
compound, triple and even quadruple expan-
sion engines. The latter are, however, ex-
pensive to build. and from this added ex-
pense do not represent a gain in economy
except In engines of large horse power
Small engines are TO this DAY chiefly of the
single type.
The simplicity, compactness and the d.
rect action of the turbine water wheel long
ago suggested the construction of steam
engine in which jet of steam should re-
the question has always been how to con-
struct an engine that would be economical
and at the same time able TO Withstand the
put upon it. Just how many have been the
attempts In this direction and how many
the failures may be gagged from the fact
were set up in Chicago there was not, in
this country at least, single successful
engine of this type, while the Patent ONCE
at Washington alone shows that patents
have been issued for more than 5000 differ
ent types Of steam turbines.
The Seymour steam rotary engine OF 100
horse power has a cylinder 10x29 inches
and a wheel 10x24 inches which runs in
the cylinder. 1t has two pistons five inches
long, ten inches wide and one and hall
bearing against the outside circle OF the
cylinder. The surface bearing against the
cylinder is thirty inches, as against twenty
The entry port where steam intercepts the
piston is hx10 inches The piston travels
eighteen inches with live steam and is cut
of. The number of cubic inches of steam
used from the boiler is 80 for each piston,
making $50 cubic inches of steam used in
each revolution. With l5o revolutions min
ute this makes $1,000 cubic inches OF live
steam from the boiler each minute, as
against $4,000 cubic inches used by the re-
ciprocating engine, that used being live and
expansive steam at leverage OF fourteen
and half inches.
While the reciprocating requires an ex-
pansion of three times, that OF the new
rotary is 5h times. Instead of losing from
20 TO rs per cent of its force by cooling the
new rotary loses nothing, because the cylin-
ceases to have live or expansive steam in
II from the entry port to the cutoff. There
fore the cylinder never cools. causing con-
is protected by jacket filled with non
conductors. The pistons are Kept out by
a new device. which allows them to be
adjusted without much pressure, and the
side and piston packing ring are held
automatically, adjusting themselves to the
expansion and the contraction OF the parts.
A SMALL CONSIDERATION.
The weight of 100 horsepower rotary en-
CINE is one ton and the space occupied three
feet square on bed and three feet high, in
Guiding pulley and outside pillar block, all
complete for attaching belt. 1t Is strong
and durable, as 1t has but few working
parts 1t may be placed directly on the
shaft OF locomotive or the propeiling shaft
of boat. They are made TO run back
ward as well as forward and anybody who
can turn valve and let on steam can run
one. There are no complications to get
out of order and all that Is necessary Is to
I'm the face of thousands of futile at
tempts at a successful rotary engine by
engineers In every part OF the world said
Mr. Seymour the other day. with the Pat
ent Office at Washington alone classify
ing upward of 5000 aiming at the same
achievement, undiscouraged by the asser-
lions of scientihc men, our turbine wheei
engine, tested by every trial known TO prac-
teal mechanics, has been successfully
1--WE hold out the promise of sixteen
hour trip from Chicago to New York behind
locomotive equipped with a rotary en-
CINE power and an ocean greyhound whose
propellers will ahnihilate distance at any
where from twenty-five TO forty knots an
hour"
Mr.. Seymour declares that the great aims
of a rotary engine in all particulars are re-
allied in this Invention beyond all doubts.
Seven distinctive features of advantage over
are named, constituting the points OF i'm
provement at which all model engine con-
structors have aimed. They are:
l. Absolute control Of the steam power by
cut-offs and valves. 2. Minimum Of space
occupied both for engine and boiler. 3.
mum of steam necessary TO develop given
amount of power. D. Minimum OF friction
and wear and avoiding dead working parts.
g. Interchangeable of It's eight simple
working parts. Z. Regulation OF speed. at
maximum or minimum, without loss OF pow
er or sacrifice of durability.
Personally Mr.. Seymour is an extraordi-
nary character. He is short, slight, and
speaks slow and very distinct. He seems
simply a bundle of nerves. and all of these
keep at the highest tension OF activity. He
would utterly wear himself out IL Ii were
and IL is thus he recuperates himself for the
expenditure OF energy. dissipation IL might