IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Grafton Jones of Stoke Newington Road in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROTARY ENGINES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Grafton Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th August 1882.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES of Stoke Newington Road in the County of Middlesex
Engineer; "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
"
This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines to be actuated by
steam water or other fluid
The body of the engine consists of a metal casting of a hollow cylindrical form
mounted in a horizontal position upon suitable supports on each side and the
cylinder is divided into two portions by a central partition.
On each side of this partition there are cylindrical blocks coupled together
through the partition.
These cylindrical blocks have axes eccentric to the cylinder their peripheries
bearing on the bottom of the cylinder thus forming a steam tight division between
the steam and exhaust ports. Each block has a slot on one side into which sliding
tongues are fitted these tongues have tubular stems containing a spring which
constantly keeps them in steam tight contact with the bore of the cylinder. One
of these tongues in each block is the driver and the driving tongues are so placed
in the cylindrical blocks that when one is at the top the other is at the bottom
by using one tongue a greater portion of its revolution is under the pressure
of steam,
The steam spaces between the peripheries of the cylindrical blocks and the
cylinder is enclosed steam tight by rings which are set up by set screws, in the
cylinder cover (three in each cover) a spring is interposed between the ring and
the set screws so that the pressure is elastic allowing for varying expansion by
heat,
On the front cover is a stuffing box through which the main axis passes, near
the end of which is a plummer block. Intermediate of the engine and the plummer

page_text: block is a fy wheel and eccentric which gives motion to a stem or axis to which
the cut off valves are fixed.
These valves work in the steam chest and have a steam-tight division.
Between them in their working they alternately admit and cut off steam to
suitable steam ports.
These ports lead into the reversing valve chest containing a valve having two
pistons. The steam is admitted between these pistons from the steam chest and
thence into the cylinder on each side of the partition by suitable ports.
There is a web between the two pistons dividing these ports so that the
expansion valves can act at different times in the admission of steam into the ports
as may be determined at what time the steam shall be cut off.
The engine can be reversed or stopped and started by sliding the double piston
valve by means of a lever so that the steam is conveyed by one or the other of the
ports to opposite sides of the driving tongues, the ports which were steam becoming
exhaust and vice versa.
The exhaust pipe is in connection with one steam chest and the steam pipe with
the other steam chest

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Grafton Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th February 1883.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES of Stoke Newington Road in the County of Middlesex
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
"
This Invention relates to improvements in rotary engines to be actuated by
steam water or other fluid
And in order that my improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
drawings hereto annexed in which Figure 1 is a cross section on the line A A of
the longitudinal section Figure 2.
The body of the engine consists of a metal casting a of a hollow cylindrical form
mounted in a horizontal position upon suitable supports on each side and the
cylinder is divided into two portions by a central partition a¹.
On each side of this partition a' there are cylindrical blocks 66 coupled together
through the partition as shown at 6².
These cylindrical blocks have axes eccentric to the cylinder a their peripheries
bearing on the bottom of the cylinder thus forming a steam tight division between
the steam and exhaust ports c c see Figure 1.
Each block has a slot on one side into which sliding tongues & are fitted these
tongues & have tubular stems d' containing a spring which constantly keeps them
in steam tight contact with the bore of the cylinder. One of these tongues in
each block is the driver and the driving tongues are so placed in the cylindrical
blocks that when one is at the top the other is at the bottom by using one tongue
a greater portion of its revolution is under the pressure of steam.
The steam spaces between the sides near the peripheries of the cylindrical
blocks b and the cylinder covers are enclosed steam tight by the rings e, e, which
are set up by set screws e¹ el in the cylinder cover (three in each cover) a spring
or other elastic packing is interposed between the ring e and the set screws el e₁
so that the pressure is elastic allowing for the varying expansion by heat.
On the front cover is a stuffing box through which the main axis b* passes near
the end of which is a plummer block f. Intermediate of the engine and the
plummer block is a fly wheel and eccentric h which gives motion to a stem or
axis g' to which the cut off valves g² g² are fixed.
These valves work in the steam chest h³ and have a steam tight division g³..
Between them in their working they alternately admit and cut off steam to steam
ports h¹ h¹.
These ports from each compartment of the cylinder a lead into the reversing
valve chest i containing a valve having two pistons i¹i. The steam is admitted
between these pistons from the steam chest h³ and thence into the cylinder a on
each side of the partition a' by the ports c c.
There is a web between the two pistons dividing these ports so that the
expansion valves g³ g³ can act at different times in the admission of steam into
the ports cc, as may be determined at what time the steam shall be cut off.
The engine can be reversed or stopped and started by sliding the double piston
valve by means of the lever j so that the steam is conveyed by one or the other
of the ports cc to opposite sides of the driving tongues d the ports which were
team becoming exhaust and vice versa.
The exhaust pipe is in connection with one steam chest & and the steam pipe
with the other steam chest h.

page_text: The steam pipe (not shown in the drawing) is connected with the steam chest h³
in any convenient manner and the exhaust passage with the chest i.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice I would remark that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately which are well known and in common use,
But what I claim is :-
First. The improved arrangement combination and construction of rotary
engines having a cylinder formed into two compartments by a central partition
with a revolving block b in each compartment connected to the driving axis each
block 6 carrying one driving tongue d mounted and arranged to act substantially
in the manner herein before described and represented in the drawings hereto
annexed..
Second. The improved arrangement and combination of the rings e having
springs or other elastic packing set up by set screws e¹ acting against the driving
tongues & and blocks b to close the sides of the steam spaces in the cylinder a
substantially in the manner herein before described and represented in the
drawings annexed.
Third. The improved arrangement and application of the reversing pistons or
valves for stopping starting and reversing substantially in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the drawings annexed.
I also claim the improved arrangement of the reversing pistons or valves in
combination with the cut off valves g² g² so as to act substantially in the manner
herein before described and represented in the drawings annexed.
Fourth. I claim the general arrangement and combination of mechanical parts
constituting my improved rotary engine acting substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described and represented in the drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof I the said James Grafton Jones have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fifth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
T OLDATION
LONES