Improvements in Apparatus for Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion, and in the Application of such Apparatus to Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Converting Reciprocating into
Rotary Motion, and in the Application of such Apparatus to
Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
JOSEPH RUSHTON TURNOCK Steel Iron & Tinplate Manufacturer Yspitty Works
Loughor R.S.O. South Wales do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Instead of the usual crank I use cog or ratchet toothed wheel fixed on main shaft
and instead of connecting rod I have two racks connected with piston rod or cross-
head these racks are given a requisite movement at right angles to the stroke by
which the teeth engage alternately into the top and bottom of the said wheel and so
cause the shaft to travel in one direction. Another form is to have two wheels or
segments of wheels on main shaft revolving freely in one direction and arranged to
clutch the shaft either by ratchet and pauls or similar motion or by clutches or by
friction gearing, into each wheel I gear a rack connected with the piston rod or
crosshead one rack working into the top of one wheel the other working into the
bottom of the other wheel. These wheels and racks may be made of metal or instead
of teeth I may use wheels and racks covered with Indiarubber or other non slipping
material and work by friction only. Reversing is obtained by the use either of extra
clutches or reversing the motion of the clutches or friction gearing.
When extra power is required from a given cylinder the wheels are made so largo
that one stroke of piston does not push the shaft half a revolution. When extra speed
is wanted the wheels are made so small that one stroke of piston pushes the shaft
round more than half a revolution. By these means almost any power or speed may
be obtained by proper proportion of wheels to length of stroke and the modifications
refer to either of the before named movements.

page_text: In a Steam Gas or Water engine the slide or other valves may be actuated either
by suitably shaped cams, or by tappets or by lever motion from the crosshead or
other moving part and in some cases the usual passages in the cylinder are reversed
and in the case especially of horizontal engines great advantage would be obtained by
having cylinders (high pressure or compound or condensing) attached to either end
of the said racks or a pair of racks may be connected with either end of piston rod
working through cylinder. Quietness in working pawls may be obtained by use of
Rubber or other buffers.
Daint this 21st day of Danamber 1886
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Converting Reciprocating into
Rotary Motion, and in the Application of such Apparatus to
Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
I, JOSEPH RUSHTON TURNOCK Steel Iron & Tinplate Manufacturer Yspitty
Works Loughor R.S.O. South Wales do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCATING INTO ROTARY
MOTION AND IN THE APPLICATION OF SUCH APPARATUS TO STEAM AND OTHER FLUID
PRESSURE ENGINES in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Instead of the usual crank I use cog or ratchet toothed wheels fixed on main shaft
and instead of connecting rod 1 have two racks connected with piston rod or cross-
head, these racks are given either by springs or suitable gearing a requisite movement
at right angles to the stroke by which the teeth engage alternately into the top and
bottom of the said wheel and so cause the shaft to travel in one direction. Another
form is to have two wheels or segments of wheels on main shaft revolving freely in
one direction and arranged to clutch the shaft either by ratchet and pawls or similar
motion or by clutches or by friction gearing, into each wheel I gear a rack connected
with the piston rod or crosshead one rack working into the top of one wheel the
other working into the bottom of the other wheel. These wheels and racks may be
made of metal or instead of teeth I may use wheels and racks covered with India
rubber or other non slipping material and work by friction only. Reversing is
obtained by the use either of extra clutches or reversing the motion of the clutches
or friction gearing.
When extra power is required from a given cylinder the wheels are made so
large that one stroke of piston does not push the shaft half a revolution. When extra
speed is wanted the wheels are made so small that one stroke of piston pushes the
shaft round more than half a revolution.

page_text: By these means almost any power or speed may be obtained by proper proportion
of wheels to length of stroke and these modifications refer to either of the before
named movements.
In a Steam Gas or Water Engine the slide or other Valves may be actuated either
by suitably shaped Cams or by Tappets or by lever motion from the Crosshead or
other moving part, and in some cases the usual passages in the cylinder are reversed so
that when the slide valve opens the left hand port the steam goes to the right hand
side of the piston and vice versa.
In the case of Horizontal Engines great advantage would be obtained by having
cylinders either high pressure or compound or condensing attached to either end of
the said racks or a pair of racks may be connected with either end of piston rod
working through cylinder.
Quietness in working parts may be obtained by use of rubber or other buffers
inserted into hollows in teeth of wheels, ratchets or racks.
In order that I may be clearly understood I annex the following drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a pair of Racks R R with ratchet shaped teeth working into
a wheel W fixed on to main shaft M. Cis the crosshead to which the Piston rod P
is joined. A spring shown at S is for the purpose of keeping one or other of the
racks in gear with the wheel. It will be seen that on an outward stroke of the piston
the wheel and shaft will be revolved in the direction of the arrow and on the return
stroke the bottom rack will gear and pull the wheel in the same direction. The racks
therefore have a slight up and down motion and are joined to the crosshead by hinges
H and H.
Fig. 2. In this case there are two cog wheels C side by side on main shaft these
wheels revolve freely outside the ratchet wheels W which are fixed on main shaft S.
Into the cog wheels are geared two racks R¹ and R2 one into the top side of one
wheel the other into the bottom side of the other wheel in this case the crosshead I
stands in an inclined position as regards the wheels. P is the Piston rod fastened to
the crosshead. S is the main shaft and B B are balls or rollers for the purpose of
causing the cog wheels to clutch or bind on the ratchet wheels and thus push the
shaft round in the required direction. It is therefore evident that on an outward
stroke of the piston the lower rack will push its wheel in the direction of the arrow
the Balls or rollers will jamb between the ratchet and cog wheels and the shaft will
be pushed round also in the direction of the arrow. During this stroke the top rack
has been pushing its wheel in the opposite direction and as that would not cause its
clutches to jamb it has been doing no work but on the return stroke it immediately
gets clutched by the balls or rollers and therefore pulls the shaft round in the same
direction that the bottom rack worked it meanwhile the bottom rack having freed
itself of its clutches has done no work. The shaft therefore revolves in the same
direction on both strokes of the Piston.
Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2 at the line a b. The upper rack is seen at R' and the
lower rack at R². The cog wheels are seen at C and C. The Ratchet wheels
at W and W the main shaft at S and the dotted lines show the position of the
crosshead.
Fig. 4 shows a three or other numbered pronged cam fixed on to a shaft this cam
actuates a lever which works the slide valve therefore three or more strokes of the
Piston may be given for each revolution of the shaft. C is the Cam L. L. the Lever
nd R the slide valve rod.
Fig. 5 shows a tooth of a wheel or rack made with hollows H H into which are
nserted buffers of India rubber or other suitable substance I for the purpose of
leadening noise and concussion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion and, in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
laim is
1st. The use of movable racks gearing into the opposite sides of a fixed wheel or
heels on main shaft as above described.

page_text: 2nd. The pair of reciprocating racks working into a pair of loose wheels revolving
round a shaft the said wheels being fixable in one direction or in either direction as
required by means of ratchet wheels and pawls or other suitable device or by friction
gearing as above described.
3rd. The use of India rubber covered racks and wheels ås above described.
4th. The use of India rubber buffers inserted into hollows in the teeth of racks or
wheels for the purpose above described.
7th. The combination of the above-described appliances with steam or other
cylinders.
8th. The use of the cam as above described for giving an extra number of strokes
to the piston when desired.
Datul this 57th day of December Que thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven.