Year: 1887

page_text: We, AUGUSTE LUDOVIC TAVERDON and CHARLES TAVERDON, Engineers, of 19, rue
Claude Bernard Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has for its object to assure a tight fit between the different moving
parts of a rotary engine without subjecting them to excessive wear or producing
undue friction.
The principle of our engine is illustrated by the annexed diagram which represents
the simplest embodiment of our invention.
This engine chiefly comprises a cylinder P of circular cross-section, having its
centre at A, radius A-B, and two large apertures s and r, the former serving as
inlet and the latter as outlet for the motive Huid. In this cylinder a radial arm or
blade A-B' equal to A-B is adapted to turn around the centre A, its extremity B'
provided with a packing G¹ remaining always in contact with the circular wall of the
cylinder P.
In the interior of the cylinder P and independent of the same is situated a disc M
of circular cross-section having its centre at C, and radius CT; this disc is
therefore in constant contact with the cylinder P along the generating line passing
through H.
These two rotary systems having their respective centres at A and C, are connected
with each other by a wing F pivoted at one end on an axle D forming part of the
disc M, while the opposite end forms with the head O of the radial arm A-B' a knee
joint.
The radius of the external curvature of the wing F is equal to A B².
If now the block M revolves in the cylinder P, the extremity of the radius A-B¹
will never leave the inner surface of the cylinder P, while the fulcrum or heel of the
wing F will always remain on the circumference having its centre at C, and
radius C-T. Consequently, that part of the wing which is designated with the
letters a-b will increase from zero (at the point H) to the length a' (at the point B)
and then again decrease down to zero.

page_text: This face a-b of the wing F plays the part of the piston or surface of application
of the force, while the tangent or generating line at Il corresponds to the cylinder
bottom, abutment, or supporting surface.
In practise, our engines are, however, provided with three or more wings.
As the pressure of the motive fluid on the surface of the wing is transmitted to its
axle and from there to the wing-carrying disc, the principal wear and tear will occur
at the heel-part of the wings, and this is compensated by a forward motion of the
elastic packing plates (G) under the influence of their own elasticity, centrifugal
force, and the presence of the motive fluid acting between the said plates and the
disc M.
In order to keep the ends of the cylinder tight, the cover forms a plug fitting into
the cylinder and pressed against the face of the wing-carrying disc by a screw cap
provided with ribs or recesses equally distributed over its circumference. If there
are for instance 200 ribs and the screw has 2 millimetres pitch, and if the screw cap is
turned until a click will be situated opposite the next division or recess, the axial
motion or adjustment of the cover will amount to one hundredth of a millimetre,
which adjustment will be distributed over the two faces of the disc.
A good lubrication of the moving parts is provided in any convenient manner.
The inlet and outlet ( and s) may be narrowed, in which case the heads of the
radial arms will alternately serve as motor pistons and as abutment or obturator for
the motive fluid.
If two or more engines are arranged on the same driving shaft, the generating
lines H are not placed in the same line but are equally distributed over the circum-
ference, in order to equalise the lateral pressure on the driving shaft.
The pressure of the motive fluid against the outside of the disc M may, however,
be partly balanced by other means, for instance by allowing pressure fluid to act
internally on the wing-carrying disc.
As a modification, the system of radial blades A-B instead of being allowed to
turn on the fixed shaft A may be rigidly mounted on the same and serve to turn it,
in which case this shaft would be a second driving shaft parallel to the first.
As a further modification the axle C may be connected with the axle A by a crank,
and the disc M will then roll on the inside of the cylinder, while the axle C revolves
around the axle A. Or if we suppose a single wing F to be pivoted to a knee joint O
the latter being fixed to and invariably connected with the cylinder P, the disc M will
oscillate in the cylinder and impart to the centre C a circular motion round the axis A.
This latter arrangement is particularly suitable for motors working with expansion.
There are, however, other means for adapting our engine to work with expansion.
The fluid may,
for instance, be admitted through the hollow interior of the blade A-B,
and the ports in the knee-joints O arranged conveniently. Finally an automatic
regulation may be obtained by varying the admission of the motive fluid according
to the resistance. For this purpose, two portions or lengths of the driving shaft may
be united by a coil blade resembling a dynamometric coupling. In the position of
rest, the ports formed in a sleeve concentric to the driving shaft would be sufficiently
open to assure the required working speed of the motor under its normal load. If
the resistance on the driving shaft increases, the dynamometric blade will be con-
tracted and move the circular slide valve or sleeve, so as to increase the area of the
inlet.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: We, AUGUSTE LUDOVIC TAVERDON and CHARLES TAVERDON, Engineers, of 37,
Rue Philippe le Bon, Bruxelles, Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:-
The subject of the present invention is a new system of rotary engines, in the
design of which we have tried to assure the greatest possible tightness between the
moving parts, while avoiding excessive friction between the said organs, or injurious
strains on some of them.
We have taken special care, while realising these objects, to avoid all complication
of mechanisms and motions, and have thus succeeded in producing a rotary engine
which costs little and will last a long time.
The principle of our engine is illustrated by fig. 1, which represents the simplest
form, our system may assume, that is to say: a cylinder P of circular cross-section
having its centre at A, radius A-B, and two large apertures s and, the former
serving as inlet and the latter as outlet for the motive fluid. In this cylinder Pa
radial blade A-B¹ equal to A-B is adapted to turn around the centre A, its
extremity B' therefore remaining constantly in contact with the circular wall of the
cylinder P, and being moreover provided with a packing G. Independently of
the first system having its centre at A, a second rotary system is formed by a
disc M of circular cross section having its centre at C, and radius CT; this disc is
therefore in constant contact with the cylinder P along the generating line passing
through H.
These two rotary systeins, having their respective centres at A and C, as specified
above, are connected with each other by a wing F, pivoted at one end on an axle D
forming part of the disc M, while the opposite end forms with the head O of the
radial arin A-B¹ a knuckle joint.
The radius of the external curvature of the wing F is equal to A-B¹.
Supposing now the systems, having their centres at A and C, to revolve in the
cylinder P, it is clear that the extremity of the radius A-B¹ will never leave the
inner surface of the cylinder P, while, on the other hand, the heel part of the wing F
will always remain on the circumference having its centre at C, and radius CT.
Consequently, that part of the wing-surface, which is designated in fig. 1 with the
letters ab, will increase from zero (at the point H) to the length a¹¹ (at the point B)
and then again decrease down to zero.
It is this face a- of the wing F, which plays the part of the piston or surface of
application of the force, while the tangent or generating line at H corresponds to the
cylinder bottom, abutment, or supporting surface.
We have purposely, and in order to simplify the explanation of our arrangement,
represented a single blade; which arrangement, would be wasteful and would leave
too much work to be done by the inertia of the moving parts, in as much as from the
point m to the point (in the direction of the arrow) there would be direct com-
munication between the inlet and the outlet of the fluid, during which period no
motive power would act on the face of the piston-blade or wing.
In practice, our engines are provided with several wings, and the number of these
will not affect the principle of the apparatus.

page_text: By way of example, fig. 2 represents in cross-section, and Fig. 4 in longitudinal
section, an engine with three wings which gives good industrial results. In this
arrangement, the motive fluid acts on each wing only as long as its extremity B, B'
or B remains in contact with the part U-V of the cylinder wall. When the
wing B arrives at V, the fluid enclosed between the wing B¹ (which will then be
situated at U) and the said point V begins to escape, after which moment the motive
fluid will act on the wing B.
Prevention of Leakage. The packing pieces G G G and G' G¹ G¹ (fig. 2) have
for their object to ensure a tight fit between the cylinder P and its piston-blades F on
the one hand, and between the piston-blades F and the wing-carrying disc M on the
other hand.
It will be observed, that the pressure of the motive fluid acting on the faces a-b of
the wings F is directly transmitted by the said wings to their heel-part and to the
axles D, Di D of the same. Consequently. the wear and tear will chiefly occur
between these heel-parts and their axles, on the one hand, and between these heel-
parts and their bearings in the disc M, on the other hand, and these are the only
places, where play can occur between the moving parts.
Now, such play has no other effect, than to allow a slight receding motion of the
heel-part D, which motion will be immediately compensated by a corresponding
advance of the elastic packing plates G, caused by their own elasticity. A close fit
of the packing-plates G G G fixed in front of the knuckle-joints 0, 0, 0¹¹ is
assured by three causes, namely by centrifugal force, by the elasticity of the said
packing-plates, and by the pressure of the motive fluid.
As regards the tightness at the ends of the cylinder and the taking up of any play
which might be produced at these parts, these objects are attained by an arrangement
shown on fig. 4, which is a longitudinal section of the engine. For this purpose, the
cover K of the cylinder P forms a kind of circular plug fitting into the cylinder P
and pressed against the face of the wing-carrying disc M by a screw-cap L provided
externally with ribs or recesses distributed equally over its circumference. If there
are, for instance, 200 ribs. and the screw has 2 millimetres pitch, and if the screw-cap
is turned until the click X will be situated opposite the next division or recess, the
axial motion or adjustment of the cover Kwill amount to one hundredth of a millimetre,
which adjustment will be distributed over the two faces of the disc M and thus amount
for each of them to only a two-hundredth of a millimetre.
Lubrication. Lubricant is admitted to the interior of the engine through an axial
perforation of the fixed shaft A communicating with a grease receptacle R, shown in
fig. 4. The lubricant thus supplied to the journal of the blades A-B is driven by
centrifugal force against the wings and the interior of the cylinder P, and is
afterwards discharged.
The driving shaft is provided with rings d, d, d, to form a thrust-bearing, the
bushes of which are allowed to turn freely in the grease receptacle R¹.
If heating should occur between the shaft and the bushes, the latter would turn
with the shaft, until the lubrication is re-established.
We have mentioned above, that the fixed support or abutment for the motive fluid
is at H, where the two cylinders P and M touch each other along one of their
generating lines.
Instead of adopting this arrangement, the inlet and outlet (and s) may be
narrowed, as indicated in fig. 2 by dotted lines (Y and Z), in which case the
heads 0, 0, 0 will alternately serve as motive pistons and as abutments or obturators
for the motive fluid.
We will remark, that in this case, where the wing serves as abutment, it receives
and transmits to the axle A a pressure which would be injurious to this axle, if it were
not balanced by the centrifugal force.
In the description of fig. 2, we have mentioned, that the line U-V is the only
useful or active part of the cylinder wall. The cylinder or casing may, therefore,
have the shape represented by fig. 3, which would be suitable for hydraulic motors.
This motor could work at very low speed, and in view of the width of the inlet and

page_text: outlet openings and r, and the distance between the wing-carrier M and the wall U V,
it will be clear, that no trouble in the working of the motor could arise from foreign
bodies suspended in the water.
As shown in fig. 3, the surface UV may be formed on a separate cover, introduced
into the casing from the side, which construction facilitates repairs or exchange of
parts, besides simplifying the construction.
The motive-fluid, while acting on the piston blades F, presses also on the lower part
of the circumference of the wing carrier M. In small engines, this pressure will only
produce a better contact between the disc M and the cylinder P at the point II, that
is to say, it will prevent leakage at this point.
But in the case of large engines, this pressure becomes too strong, and has for its
effect, firstly, to produce excessive friction at H, and secondly, to subject the driving
shaft to injurious strains.
To avoid this evil, several motors may be arranged on the same driving shaft, care
being taken to direct the resultant of the pressure exerted on the free faces of the
disc M in such a manner, that they balance each other.
Fig. shows an arrangement of this kind for two engines, in which case it is
sufficient to arrange the two cylinders in such a manner, that the points of contact H'
and H2 are situated opposite, or at an angle of 180 degrees to each other, on different
sides of the centros of the disc M. For three cylinders (of equal power) these points
would be situated at angles of 120 degrees to each other.
The pressure of the motive fluid against the outside of the disc M in a single
cylinder engine may, however, be partly balanced by adopting the construction shewn
by fig. 6, that is to say, by making the disc M H shaped in cross section, and pro-
viding ducts e, e, which lead to the inside of the flanges of the H, thus admitting
pressure fluid between the flanges of M and the adjoining surfaces of the covers K,
and producing a counter pressure which partly balances the pressure on the outside of
the disc M. In this case obturators t, t, are inserted between the covers K and the
inner faces of the disc M, to prevent the pressure fluid from passing out through the
annular space and getting behind the wings F.
The system of engines just described is capable of many modifications, as regards
the manner of producing the relative motions of its various organs.
We will now indicate some of these modifications by way of example, and in order
to show more clearly their general character.
In the engine with three wings or vanes, which we have particularly described and
illustrated (figs. 2 & 4) the axis A was fixed, and the system of blades A-B allowed
to revolve freely around it, while the shaft Cconnected with the wing-carrier M turned
with the latter and served as driving shaft.
It is clear, however, that nothing will prevent us from mounting the system of
revolving blades A-B rigidly upon the shaft A (which would in this case be
rectilinear and not form a crank, as indicated in fig. 4), the shaft A. thus taking part
in the rotary motion and serving as second driving shaft parallel with the first.
It is also clear, that in the arrangement represented by figs. 2 and 4, the cylinder P
may be mounted on journals and adapted to revolve, while the axle C is fixed. Or, if
both are allowed to move, they would revolve at the same time and in opposite
directions.
In the modified form, represented by fig. 8, the motive fluid enters through the
hollow axle A and a conduit a, while the discharge takes place through a duct a¹ and
the hollow shaft C into an annular cavity formed in the cover K. and communicating
with the atmosphere.
If now the shaft A is allowed to turn on its axis in suitable bearings, while the
dise M may turn on the axle C connected with shaft A by a crank p, the fluid, taking
the wing F as a base or support, will cause the disc M to roll on the inside of the
cylinder P, and the axle C will describe a circumference of radius A C around the
axle A, which will be set in rotation by the crank p, thus serving as driving shaft.
If now, all other conditions remain the same, and we suppose the single wing F to be
pivoted to the knuckle-joint O, the latter being fixed and invariably connected with

page_text: the cylinder P, the disc M will oscillate in the cylinder and impart to the centre () a
circular motion round the axis A. The latter arrangement is particularly suitable
for motors working with expansion, because the conduit a remains closed during a
part of the travel of the disc M.
For this
There are, however, other means for adapting our engine to work with expansion.
The fluid may, for instance, be admitted through the hollow interior of the blade A-B,
and the parts in the knuckle-joints 0 arranged as indicated by fig. 7. Finally, an
automatic regulation may be obtained rendering the admission of the motive fluid
variable according to the mechanical resistance opposed to the motor.
purpose, two portions or lengths of the driving shaft may be united by a coiled blade
serving as a dynamometer. In the position of rest, the ports formed in a sleeve
concentric to the driving shaft would be sufficiently open to assure the required
working speed of the motor under its normal load. If the resistance on the driving
-shaft increases, the dynamometric blade will be contracted or the coil tightened and
move the circular slide valve or sleeve, so as to increase the area of the inlet. If, on
the contrary, the resistance decreases, the ports will be narrowed.
Having thus fully described our invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed as well as some modifications based on the same principle, we wish it to be
understood, that we claim the following
:-
1. A rotary engine, chiefly comprising two revolving systems or groups of
mechanism having different contres and different radii, said systems being united only
by piston-blades, and revolving both in the same direction in the interior of a circular
cylinder.
2. For the purpose of preventing leakage between the different organs, the metallic
or other packing-pieces secured to the extremity or front of the piston-wings, as well
as those arranged between the said piston-wings and the wing carrying disc, these
packings being so arranged as to press against the moving parts under the simultaneous
influence of their own elasticity, the centrifugal force, and the pressure of the motive
fluid, the whole substantially as described and illustrated.
3. For the purpose of balancing the bending strain transmitted to the driving shaft
by the wing-carrying disc, the multiple arrangement, which consists in placing several
cylinders on the same shaft, the various discs being fixed on the common shaft at such
angles, that the pressures on the shaft balance each other.
4. For the purpose of diminishing the bending strain on the shaft without the uso
of several cylinders, a wing-carrying disc of H section, and the admission of fluid
between the inner faces of the rings or flanges due to the EI form, and the faces
of the cylinder covers, the said admission taking place through narrow orifices
formed radially on the said rings or flanges, the whole substantially as described and
shown.
5. For the purpose of varying the admission with the resistance to be overcome, the
modification, which consists in forming the hollow driving shaft of two lengths united
by a dynamometric bar or coil adapted to expand and contract according to the driving
effort, and thereby to increase or diminish the inlet ports formed in a sleeve concentric
with the shaft.