AN IMPROVED ROTARY STEAM ENGINE
Year: 1864

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ROTARY
STEAM ENGINE."-A communication from abroad by Alexandre Gerin, of
Lyons, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 22nd July 1864, and dated the 27th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th January 1864.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY STEAM ENGINE," (communicated to me from abroad by Alexandre Gerin,
of Lyons, in the Empire of France,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in permitting the establishment on one crown or
ring of from two to any desired number of cylinders at intervals calculated

page_text: and combined so that the play of the pistons follows without interruption, to
the end that the impulsion and the movement given to the wheel furnished
with several pistons in accord may be non-intermittent, and that, no matter
what the number of cylinders, there is never but one non-working or spare
piston while all the pistons of the other cylinders are in action. A is
space
reserved between all the cylinders for escape of the steam. The arrangement
is as follows:-A ring or crown frame serves to secure the solidity and the fitting
of the entire arrangement of the machine, and it is on or in it that are fitted
or contrived the partitions, the cylinders, and other working parts. This crown
or ring frame is divided into sectors of equal length. The number of these
sectors is always double that of the cylinders and they are of two denomi-
nations. First, sectors for entrance of steam, in which sectors are the partitions
or cylinder heads hereafter mentioned, and which sectors for entrance of steam
are always followed by an escape sector; each entrance sector has a steam inlet.
Second, escape sectors, in which advance the cylinders in working, and in which
are also the steam escapeinents or outlets. Each sector for escape of steam
is preceded by a sector in which the steam enters. A driving wheel is placed
on the ring frame and receives and transmits the motion; it is mounted on an
axle, and it is on its upper surface that the pistons are fitted. The cylinders
or receivers receive the steam acting on the pistons; they form continuation
of and adhere to the movable partitions and comprise in length the length
of a sector. To facilitate the passage of the pistons the partitions may be
with valve slide wheel box or otherwise. The pistons are fitted on the seat of
the upper surface of the driving wheel; they must be at rigorously equal
distances apart and in number always double that of the cylinders.
I will now describe a method easy of comprehension and application of
dividing the distances between the cylinders, the pistons, and accessary parts, in
order that according to their number all the working may conduce to the
production of a non-intermittent movement. In a rotary engine with two
cylinders the ring frame or crown must be divided into four equal sectors,-two
entrance and two escape sectors. The first partition and the first cylinder
must occupy the whole of the first entrance sector and advance into the
following half of the second escape sector. The partition and the cylinder
having the length of a sector must also divide the partition, must not occupy
more than four tenths and the cylinder the six other tenths. The partition
These arrangements
might occupy less and consequently the cylinder more.
made, the driving wheel is placed, corresponding in circumference with the
ring-frame, and on the seat of the upper surface of the wheel four pistons are

page_text: fitted at distances rigorously equal. The steam inlets and outlets functioning
the working without intermission is obtained, a cylinder always gives impulsion
to a piston while the other is not working. In the case of a rotary engine,
with three cylinders the crown or ring frame must be divided into six sectors,―
three for steam entrance, three for escape. The first partition and the first
cylinder entirely occupy the first entrance sector; the second partition and
the second cylinder two-thirds of the second entrance sector and one-third of
the second escape sector; the third partition and the third cylinder .one-third
of the third entrance sector and two-thirds of the third escape sector.
The partition must at most occupy one-third the length of a sector and the
cylinder two-thirds. With these arrangements of proportion the driving
wheel is placed, six pistons are fitted, and the machine works with two pistons
in action in two eylinders and one spare one in rest. In the case of a rotary
engine with four cylinders the crown or ring frame must be divided into eight
sectors, four entrance, four escape. The first partition and the first cylinder
entirely occupy the first entrance sector; the second partition and the second
cylinder three-quarters of the second entrance sector and one-quarter of the
second escape sector; the third partition and the third cylinder two-fourths
of the third entrance sector and two-fourths of the third escape sector; the
fourth partition and the fourth cylinder one-quarter of the fourth entrance
sector and three-fourths of the fourth escape sector. The partition must
occupy at most one-quarter the length of a sector and the cylinder three-
fourths. These proportionate arrangements made, the driving wheel is placed
and eight pistons are fitted. The machine works with four pistons acting and
one in change not working, In the case of a rotary engine with five cylinders
the crown or ring-frame must be divided into ten sectors, five steam entrance
and five escape sectors. The first partition and the first cylinder occupy the
whole of the first entrance sector; the second partition and the second
cylinder four-fifths of the second entrance sector and one-fifth of the second
escape sector; the third partition and the third cylinder three-fifths of the
third entrance sector and two-fifths of the third escape sector; the fourth
partition and the fourth cylinder two-fifths of the fourth entrance sector and
three-fifths of the fourth escape sector; the fifth partition and the fifth
cylinder one-fifth of the fifth entrance sector and four-fifths of the fifth
escape sector.
The partition should occupy at most one-fifth of the length
of a sector and the cylinder four-fifths. These proportionate arrangements
made, the driving wheel is placed and ten pistons fitted. The working takes
place with four pistons in action and one spare one. Finally, by following

page_text: these rules of proportion, a rotary engine may be fitted with any desired
number of cylinders, and by following these principles and combinations
the too great spaces reserved either in the partitions or the escapements
may be disposed of in favor of the length of the cylinders rigorously
by equal parts.