Improvements in Rotary Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
Improvements in Rotary Engines.
I JOHN IRELAND BOOKER of Armley Leeds and WILLIAM VERNON BONSOR
of Wimbledon S.W. the former of 2 Butts Terrace Armley Leeds County of York
and the latter of 126 Gladstone Road Wimbledon S.W. do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows relating to the construction and principles
of rotary engines:
:-
Our said invention relates to a rotary engine having two seperate and distinct
cylinders, each containing seperate and distinct pistons or packing plates arms
or rings.
Also to the steam being admitted simultaneously to both cylinders at one and
the same time, through and into a port or ports connecting the two cylinders
together.
Also to the steam being admitted between the two seperate plates, arms rings or
pistons, and forcing them by steam pressure and expansion apart, therebye revolving
them on their seperate yet similar revolving paths.
Also to the construction of packing plates pistons, arms, or rings, which shall
hereafter be referred to and denoted as pistons, whose relative position to their
respective cylinders, cause them to revolve truly and centrally to the bore of their
respective cylinders, on their said, seperate, and permanent central centres.
Also to the construction of the steam ports being so formed, that one set of ports
act for exhaust, whilst one act for steam inlet, and to the construction of the same
in cylinder part, being a port or ports, divided by consecative bridges of metal,
forming part of the cylinder bore, to cause junk ring or piston to slide smoothly
past, and over ports and abutments.
Also to the construction of the ports inlet and outlet, that each port between the
consecutive bridges of metal, forms the stationary abutment whereon steam can
press when desired, either for single, twin, or triple rotary engines.
Also to the construction of the steam ports that every consecative port between
the bridges act on two seperate and distinct pistons, for driving the pistons in one
direction and every other consecative port, to drive the pistons the other way, and
also to the bridged ports being made to suit reversible, or straight going, motions
or revelution.
Also to the construction of a twin cylinder rotary engine or engines, the word
twin, applying to cylinders only joined together by bridged ports to form
abutments.
Also to rotary engines constructed with two twin cylinders forming the high
pressure, two twin cylinders forming the intermediate or low pressure, and two twin
cylinders forming the low pressure, the ports being bridged as aforesaid.
Also to the said twin cylinders being coupled by cranks and connecting rods, for,
single, compound, and triple rotary engines. The said cranks and connecting rods
being so placed as to cause, regulate, and control the relation and revolution of one
piston with the other.
Also the construction of twin cylinder single or compound engines, where rotary
motion is connected and controlled by either spur mortice, bevel, or double
helical wheels, either internal, or external, driven by the said cylinders above
specified.
Also, to an equilibrium or balanced valve, one side of which acts for steam and
exhaust, to drive two pistons through one port, simultaneously in one direction, and
the opposite side to drive two pistons in the same manner, in a reverse direction

page_text: therebye, acting, controlling, and regulating, the inlets and outlets of both cylinders
simultaneously.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1890
JOHN IRELAND BOOKER.
WILLIAM VERNON BONSOR.
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines.
We, JOHN IRELAND BOOKER of 2 Butts Terrace Armley Leeds in the County
of York, Engineer, and WILLIAM VERNON BONSOR, of Wimbledon, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
Our invention relates to rotary engines having two separate and distinct
cylinders which by preference we cast together, each cylinder being furnished with
a piston, packing arms, plates, or rings. The steam or other expansible fluid is
admitted to the cylinders through a port or ports.
The steam or other fluid or expansible pressure having been admitted as above
to both cylinders through a port or ports by valves, or rings which act as valves,
thus regulating the admission of fluid between the two separate packing plates,
arms, rings or pistons and forces them apart causing them to rotate in their similar
or opposite paths. The construction of the said packing plates, pistons, arms,
plates and rings are such that each can work truly and centrally to the bore of their
respective cylinders and at the same time on their separate permanent centres.
The construction of the steam ports is such that while one set thereof acts for the
steam inlet for one cylinder through one set of rings the opposite side of the same
ports act as steam inlets through the other set of rings to the other cylinder and at
the same time. Also by constructing the ports in suchwise that one set thereof
may act for the steam inlet whilst the other set act for the exhaust or outlet and in
order that the packing plate or piston may pass smoothly over the said port or
ports which are parallel to the axis or axes of the cylinder or cylinders we divide
such port or ports by a series of bridges of metal which at the same time form a
portion of bore of the cylinder or cylinders. We also construct the steam ports so
that one set act for the admission of steam to drive the pistons one way whilst the
other set act as exhaust or outlet ports through a separate valve as hereinafter
shown, and when this valve is reversed the one set of ports act to drive the pistons
in an opposite direction whilst the other set act as exhaust or outlet.
Our invention also relates to construction of a twin rotary engine or engines, the
term twin applying only to cylinders joined together in their working bore by
bridged ports..
Also to rotary engines constructed with two such twin cylinders forming the high
pressure part of the engine and two such cylinders forming the intermediate or low
pressure portion, the ports being bridged as above referred to. Also to the pistons
of the said twin cylinders being coupled by cranks and connecting rods for single
triple or compound rotary engines, the said cranks and connecting rods being so
placed as to regulate and control the revolution and the relative position of one
piston with the other.
Also to the construction of twin and compound engines whose rotary movement
is connected and controlled by toothed gearing, and to the construction of said twin
rotary engine where an intermediate toothed wheel is employed to take into
toothed wheels on the axes of the respective piston shafts thus determining the
relative position of one piston with the other.
Also to an equilibrium or balanced valve one side of which acts simultaneously to
drive two pistons in the same or opposite direction of rotation whilst the other side

page_text: acts in a similar manner thereby regulating and controlling the inlet and outlet
of fluid pressure simultaneously.
For further explanation of our invention we hereunto annex six sheets of drawings
in which
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a transverse vertical section through the centre of a pair of
cylinders showing the arrangement of the working parts, both pistons revolving in
the same direction.
Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section through the balanced side rings of the
pistons.
Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section of one cylinder showing the piston and
side rings thereof.
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a sectional plan of a pair of cylinders with the working
parts removed.
Fig. 5, shows to a reduced scale the mode of coupling twin piston shafts together
by cranks or toothed gearing.
Fig. 6, Sheet 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through one cylinder (to a
larger scale than Fig. 3 Sheet 1) showing the working parts more particularly than
in Fig. 3.
Fig. 7, Sheet 4, is a transverse sectional elevation to a reduced scale through the
centre of cylinders showing the pistons revolving in opposite directions.
Fig. 8, Sheet 5, is a transverse vertical section to a reduced scale, through the
centre of the cylinders of a reversible engine.
Fig. 10, Sheet 6, is a diagram of crank paths only when one or two sets of
cylinders are used to make the engine compound, one pair of cranks and one
connecting rod being between the two sets of cylinders, the other two pairs
of cranks and their connecting rods being outside the two sets of cylinders
respectively.
Fig. 11, is a diagram of an engine with two cylinders in which the pistons travel
in the same direction and the shafts of each are furnished with a crank at each
side of the respective cylinders each pair of cranks being joined by a connecting rod
the position of said cranks being such that one pair assists the other over their dead
point and thus maintains the relative position of the two pistons.
Fig. 12, shows mode of coupling two piston shafts rotating in the same direction
by an intermediate toothed wheel taking into a wheel on each of said piston shafts,
the latter two wheels being of such diameter as to clear each other in their
rotation.
Fig. 13, shows in diagram a pair of cylinders in which the pistons revolve in
opposite directions and whose motions are connected by a pair of spur wheels
meshing together.
Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur.
a, a, are the two
separate and distinct cylinders, which for convenience we cast together, b, b, are
the piston bosses these are prolonged at each side to form the driving shafts b¹, b',-
c, c, are the packing arms with packing plates c', and spiral springs c²,-d, are
sliding blocks carrying the packing arms, e, steam inlet ports,-, a series of
bridges between and forming part of the bores of the two cylinders the bridged
steam ports between the cylinders,-g the cylinder end covers having a hub g',
concentric with the bore of the cylinders whereon the rings h, revolve.
In these covers are the bearings i, i, eccentric with the bore of the cylinders and
which form the bearings for the driving or piston shaft b'.
j, steam pipe.-k, exhaust or outlet.-, metallic packing pads for the periphery
of the piston.-m, bridged exhaust ports.-n, cranks for coupling a pair of piston
shafts. o, connecting rod for the above.-p, spur wheels on the piston shafts, b
9, intermediate wheel connecting the above.-t, circular or equilibrium valve by
which an engine such as shown in Fig. 8, is regulated and reversed.-s, link motion
for actuating the same.
The two cylinders a, a, are constructed either separate or cast together as shown
as may be most convenient. Their bores are separate and distinct a communica-

page_text: tion between them being formed by the passages or ports f¹ as shown on Fig. 4,
Sheet 2 and Fig. 6, Sheet 3. These series of passages allow the steam or other
fluid in both cylinders to join together to act upon the packing arms c, c, as a
united body of Huid so that the expansion or pressure of the fluid can act equally
in both directions.
The ports e, e, in Sheet 2, are the steam inlets to cylinder bores from steam
pipe . These ports e, e, admit the steam into and through the balanced
side rings or pistons h, h, to the working bore of each cylinder a, a.
The piston bosses b, b, form part of the shaft b'. This boss is hollowed out to
receive the slide thrust blocks d, therein. The packing arms c, are constructed as
shown; the inner part forming a circular boss which permits of an occilating motion
within the said slide thrust blocks d, whilst the outer portion is recessed to admit
a packing strip c', which is in two pieces and V shaped on the inner side and acted
upon by a spiral spring c².
These packing arms or plates are fitted securely and firmly fixed and attached
to the balanced side ring pistons marked h, and revolve with them around their
central bearings g', thus keeping the packing arms or plates c, c, radial to the bore
of their respective cylinder only allowing the packing strips c', to press against the
cylinder bore by the action of the spiral spring .
The bosses g, above referred to upon which the side ring pistons rotate are
concentric to the bores of the respective cylinders and are portions of the cylinder
covers.
The packing arms c, c, and the balanced side ring pistons are securely connected
together.
On the periphery of the rings packing rings are fitted into angular grooves
around the same as shown, so that the surface of same is not continuously on one
part of the cylinder bore, but allows the cylinder to be lubricated by greased steam
or oil as it changes its position of surface thereon.
These balanced side ring pistons act as valves (when a separate valve is not used)
and regulate the inlet and point of cut off as shown on Sheet 1, Fig. 2, on steam
being admitted through ports e, Sheet 2.
These said rings are held by steam pressure against each side of the piston
bosses b, b, keeping the surface between the two steam tight and balancing the
complete piston.
The action of these side ring pistons h, and piston bosses b, one or the other are
as follows:
The side ring pistons h, being connected through the packing arms c, and sliding
thrust block d, to the piston boss b, which is part of the shaft b', they revolve in
unison governed by the packing arms c, upon which the steam or other fluid
presses.
But as the side ring pistons h, revolve on a fixed central bearing, g', concentric
to the cylinder bore whilst the piston boss b, is revolving on an axis eccentric
thereto, these different centres cause a sliding motion of the balanced side ring
pistons on the sides of the piston bosses b, whilst at the same time their position
connected by the packing arms c, work in unison therewith.
The steam ports e, are supplied with steam from steam pipe j, and leads the
steam through the balanced side ring pistons h, to the working part of each
cylinder a, whose bores are joined by passages f¹.
The bridged ports or passages f' form a communication between the two separate
cylinder bores which allows the steam when united to act equally on both packing
arms or plates c, the bridges, causing the packing plates to slide smoothly pas
the passages f. The sliding thrust block d, may be constructed either solid or in
halves and is bored to suit the packing arms or plate c, and slides in the pistor
bosses b.
The centre g, is a fixed and stationary boss on which the balanced piston rings h
rotate and which are concentric to the boss of cylinder a.
The bearings i, are eccentric to the cylinder bore and form the bearing of the

page_text: shaft portion of the piston b, which is the driving shaft and these bearings are
formed as shown on Sheet 3, with taper bearing as shewn or in any suitable
manner that can be adjusted by screwing up the side glands or other means
these stuffing boxes being either packed with metallic or other packing as
desired.
The steam ports j', Fig. 8, Sheet 5, are ports between the bore of the two
separate cylinders a, and which are divided by bridges of metal where they join
the cylinder bore of each separate cylinder. These ports are constructed to act
in conjunction with a balanced valve t, which admits and releases the fluid from
each cylinder through the ports j¹. One set of ports as shown in dotted lines act
for the admission of the steam or other fluid to the piston whilst the other set act
for the release or exhaust at the same time. This construction of ports admits of
the said engine being reversible when required.
-
The diagrams of gearing and motion shown on Sheet 6, show the following:
the method or use of side cranks and connecting rods applied to such rotary engines
constructed as described above when compounded or when two sets of such twin
rotary engines work together and which are coupled by three rods as shown.
Fig. 11, shows the diagram of one set or twin rotary engine the shafts of which
are connected by cranks and connecting rods (one at each side of the cylinders)
the said pistons of which rotate in the same direction and capable of application to
locomotives.
Fig. 12, shows a diagram of the twin rotary shafts b', ', cach having a spur
wheel u, u, thereon and connected by and driving an intermediate wheel v.
Fig. 13, shows a diagram of twin rotary engine shafts connected by gearing, and
the pistons of which revolve in opposite directions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;
1. In twin rotary engines having two separate cylinders each with a distinct
rotating piston; the use of steam or other fluid pressure acting between the said
pistons so as to cause rotary movement to them and their shafts substantially as
hereinabove described and shown.
2. In a twin rotary engine having two separate cylinders each with a distinct
rotating piston actuated by steam or other fluid pressure between them as referred
to in Claim 1, in combination with a balanced ring h, at each side of the rotating
piston and working in unison therewith substantially as hereinabove described for
the purpose specified.
3. In twin cylinder rotary engines having two separate cylinders and two distinct
rotating pistons actuated by steam or other fluid pressure between them, the use in
combination with each distinct rotating piston of balanced side rings h, arranged
to act as both induction and exhaust valves for steam or other fluid pressure
substantially as described and shown. Also the use of such side rings for single
cylinder rotary engines.
4. In rotary engines of the single double or multiple cylinder type the method
substantially as described and shown of mounting the piston arm so as to work
truly with the bore of a cylinder on which it rotates and of connecting the balanced
side rings h, thereto for the purpose specified.
5. In rotary engines such as hereinabove referred to working the same in either
single twin or in sets of three or other number of cylinders.
6. In rotary engines such as hereinabove referred to and where ports occur in
the side of the cylinder bore dividing such ports by bridges that form a part of the
cylinder's bore so as to facilitate the passing by of the rotating piston arm
substantially as described and shown.
7. In rotary engines of the twin type the use of an automatically actuated
balanced valve such as t.
8. In rotary engines of the type herein referred to, comprising two separate

page_text: cylinders with distinct pistons and shafts rotating in the same directions, connecting
the said piston shafts by means of cranks and connecting rods that determine the
relative positions of the pistons and combining the power of one piston with the
other.
9. In rotary engines of the above described type comprising two separate
cylinders with two distinct pistons and shafts rotating in the same direction
connecting the said piston shafts by means of a pair of spur wheels of a less diameter
than the distance apart of the axes of the two shafts and connecting the said spur
wheels by another and determining the relative positions of the pistons and combining
the power of one piston with the other.
10. In rotary engines of the above described type, comprising two separate
cylinders with two distinct pistons rotating in contrary directions, connecting the
said piston shafts, by spur wheels meshing into each other substantially as described
and shown.
11. In rotary engines having two separate cylinders and two distinct pistons
and actuated by steam or other fluid pressure between the said two pistons
and used expansively or otherwise and with or without the balanced side rings h.
12. The use of such rotary engines for driving or propelling locomotives, marine
propulsion, air compressing or blowing, pumping fluids, or other purposes to which
such engines may be applicable.
13. In rotary engines of the hereinabove described types, of single, twin or other
combination of cylinders, the whole constructed arranged and operating substantially
as described and illustrated for the purposes specified.
Dated this 13th day of March 1891.
JOHN IRELAND BOOKER.
WILLIAM V. BONSOR.