AN IMPROVED CALORIC ENGINE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M and
W. Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents,
for an Invention of AN IMPROVED CALORIC ENGINE Communicated to him
from abroad by Jakob Schweizer of Soleure Switzerland
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th June 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M and W. Clark of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents AN IMPROVED CALORIC
ENGINE [Communicated to him from abroad by Jakob Schweizer of Soleure
Switzerland]
This improved caloric engine is based on the employment of a partial vacuum
produced by the expansion of air at atmospheric pressure, by the heat of a gas
flame, jet of steam or other fluid, or by a current of hot air, and its subsequent
cooling in a closed chamber.
The engine is of simple construction and its working will be readily understood
by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one example of the
invention Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine. Figure 2 is a section the
driving gear and cover of the cylinder being removed. Figure 3 is a section taken
on line 1. 2 figure 1 and figure 4 is a face view of the cylinder cover. The same
reference letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
The engine consists of an annular drum a divided by radial divisions into a
number of equal chambers 6 which are open at both ends. The drum is carried by
arms i on a shaft o and turns freely within a cylinder d by which it is enclosed.
There is sufficient clearance between the periphery of the drum a and the inside
circumference of the cylinder d but the end covers of the cylinder are fitted
sufficiently close to the end faces of the drum to close the ends of the chambers b
air tight without impeding the rotation of the drum. Both covers have a port f
corresponding to the sectional area of a chamber 6 the said ports being directly

page_text: opposite one another so as to coincide with the same chamber at the same moment
and form a through passage open to the atmosphere, for the jet of flame, steam, or
other fluid projected through one of the ports The cylinder d is fixed in a
trough g containing water to a level just below the shaft a the water passing
through holes h into the central part of the annular drum and rising to the same
level therein. The front cover of the cylinder & has a port & communicating by a
pipo m with the exhaust of an ordinary engine cylinder The drum a is driven
from the engine shaft by gear wheels no or by belts chains or other means.
the motion might not in the latter case be so constant as with toothed gear I
would employ a vacuum chamber between the drum and the engine which would
enable me in certain cases to use reversing gear, the chamber storing sufficient
vacuum to start the engine in either direction
As
The working of the engine is as follows. When a chamber b comes opposite
ports and a jet of flame, steam hot air or other fluid is injected through or into
the thoroughfare thus formed and the drum is at same time revolved the said
chamber b now filled with heated air or fluid passes between, and is closed by the
lower part of the cylinder covers e which is immersed in the water, whereupon the
heated air or fluid is cooled and a partial vacuum immediately begins to be formed
in the chamber, and so on for all of the chambers 6 in succession. The drum is
driven at such a speed that the heated air shall be completely cooled down in each
chamber by the time it comes opposite port k communicating with the exhaust of
the engine
The partial vacuum in each chamber b is filled by the air withdrawn from the
one end of the engine cylinder at the same time that atmospheric air is admitted
to act on the opposite face of the piston, each stroke of which corresponds with
the passage of a chamber bover the port k, the radial divisions of the drum passing
said port when the piston is at the ends of the cylinder
The admission of air to the engine cylinder may be controlled by an ordinary
governor to regulate the speed.
The water in the trough seals the joints between the drum and covers as well as 3
cools the heated air in the chambers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th December 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A, M, and W, Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents AN IMPROVED CALORIC
ENGINE A communication to me from abroad by Jakob Schweizer of Soleure,
Switzerland.
This Improved Caloric Engine is based on the employment of a partial vacuum
produced by the expansion of air at atmospheric pressure by the heat of a flame,
jet of steain or other fluid, or by a current of hot air, and its subsequent cooling
in a closed chamber.
The engine is of simple construction and its working will be readily understood
by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one example of the
Invention. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine. Figure 2 is a section, the
driving gear and cover of the cylinder being removed. Figure 3 is a section taken
on line 1-2 figure 1, and Figure 4 is a face view of the cylinder cover. The same
reference letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
The engine consists of an annular drum a divided by radial divisions into a
number of equal chambers b which are open at both ends. The drum is carried by
arms i on a shaft c and turns freely within a cylinder d by which it is enclosed.
There is sufficient clearance between the periphery of the drum a and the inside
circumference of the cylinder d, but the end covers s of the cylinder are fitted
sufficiently close to the end faces of the drum to close the ends of the chambers b
airtight without impeding the rotation of the drum. Both covers have a port ƒ
corresponding to the sectional area of a chamber b, the said two ports f being
directly opposite one another so as to coincide with the same chamber at the same
moment and form a through passage open to the atmosphere for the jet of flame,
steam, or other fluid projected through one of the ports.. The cylinder d is fixed
in a trough g containing water to a level just below the shaft c, the water passing
through holes h into the central part of the annular drum and rising to the same
level therein. The front cover of the cylinder d has a port & communicating by a
pipe m with the exhaust of an ordinary engine cylinder. The drum a is driven
from the engine shaft by gear wheels n o, or by belts, chains, or other means. As
the motion of the drum might not in the latter case be so constant and could not
be so accurately adjusted to that of the piston as with toothed gear, I would
employ a vacuum chamber between the drum and the engine which would enable
me in certain cases to use reversing gear, the chamber storing sufficient vacuum to
start the engine in either direction.
It will be seen that the engine has no valves, cocks, or other usual fittings. It
thus combines extreme simplicity of construction and regularity of working.
The action of the engine is as follows:-When a chamber b of the drum comes
opposite ports fand a jet of flame, steam, hot air, or other fluid is injected through
or into the thoroughfare thus formed and the drum is at same time revolved, the
said chamber 6 now filled with heated air or fluid passes between and is closed by,
the lower part of the cylinder covers & which is immersed in the water, whereupon
the heated air or fluid is cooled and a partial vacuum immediately begins to be
formed in the chamber, and so on for all of the chambers 6 in succession. The
drum is driven at such a speed that the heated air shall be completely cooled down
in each chamber by the time it comes opposite port & communicating with the
exhaust of the engine. The partial vacuum in each chamber b is filled by the air

page_text: withdrawn from the one end of the engine cylinder at the same time that
atmospheric air is by slide valve p admitted to act on the opposite face of the
piston, each stroke of which corresponds with the passage of a chamber b over tho
port k, the radial divisions of the drum passing said port when the piston is at the
ends of the cylinder. The admission of air to the engine cylinder may be
controlled by an ordinary governor to regulate the speed. The water in the trough
seals the joints between the drum and covers as well as cools the heated air in the
chambers.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is.
1st. The combination with an engine cylinder of a revolving chambered drum,
in whose chambers a partial vacuum is produced by the heating and cooling of air,
substantially as described, the said chambers being brought successively into
communication with the exhaust port of the cylinder whereby the air is exhausted
from one end of the cylinder at same time that other air is admitted to act on the
opposite side of its piston as specified.
2nd. The chambered drum a revolving between the end covers of a cylindrical
casing in which ports are so arranged as to form with each of the chambers in
succession a through passage for projecting a jet of flame, steam, hot air, or other
fluid, as and for the purpose specified.
3rd. The annular chambered drum a revolving in a casing d partly immersed in
water which has access to the interior of the drum whereby the heated air or
fluid is cooled and condensed in the chambers of the drum at same time that the
joints between the drum and its casing are sealed by the water, as specified.
4th. The combination and arrangement of the annular chambered drum a,
cylindrical casing d, and covers e e, there being circumferential clearance between
the drum and casing, but no clearance between the ends of the drum and the
covers, so that the latter close the open ends of each chamber except the one for
the time being opposite the ports f, as described.
5th. The combination with the rotary chambered drum and its casing as
described of an engine cylinder placed by its exhaust pipe m and a port k in the
cover of casing d, in communication with each chamber of drum a în succession,
as and for the purpose herein specified.
6th. The combination of the annular drum a, the casing & with its end covers e
and the holes h with the trough containing water, whereby water is admitted to
the central part of the drum, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixteenth day of December, A.D. 1882.
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