IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROTATORY ENGINES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Allen, of No. 33, North Street, Aberdeen,
North Britain, Practical Engineer, and James Taylor, of the same Place,
Joiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
ROTATORY ENGINES."
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 19th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Allen and James
Taylor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 19th August 1854.
We, JAMES ALLEN, of No. 33, North Street, Aberdeen, North Britain,
Practical Engineer, and JAMES TAYLOR, of the same Place, Joiner, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OP ROTATORY ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
rotatory engines to be worked by steam or other fluid, and when driven by
power is also applicable for pumping fluids. For this purpose an axis or shaft,
is employed, which turns in suitable bearings carried by a frame or case.
Through this shaft or axis is formed a steam. way or fluid passage, through
which the fluid passes to work the engine, and the fluid having acted a fixed
transverse partition, which serves the purpose of the piston, it passes into the
case, and thence away by a suitable opening or passage. On the axis or shaft

page_text: is fixed the chamber into and from which the fluid to work the engine is
admitted, and the fluid, on being so admitted, acts on the transverse partition
fixed across the chamber. The sides of the chamber in which the steam or
fluid acts may be perpendicular to the axis or shaft, or inclined thereto, and
the two sides may be also inclined to each other, and they may be of a curved
or straight form. The chamber in which the steam or fluid acts is divided by
a partition, at right angles to the transverse partition, which acts as a piston,
and such partition is on a portion of a sphere, the axis of which sphere is so
arranged and worked, that it can, in the revolution of the shaft or axis of
the engine, assume different positions in respect to the shaft, so as to cause
the partition (which divides the chamber) at times to be at right angles to the
shaft, and at others to incline to the shaft on either side of the vertical. By
this arrangement the whole of the parts of the engine revolve with the shaft
or axis, except the case or framing; hence there is comparatively a small
amount of friction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Allen and James Taylor in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
ALLEN, of No. 33, North Street, Aberdeen, North Britain, Practical Engineer,
and JAMES TAYLOR, of the same Place, Joiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said James Allen and James Taylor, Her special licenco that we, the
said James Allen and James Taylor, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Allen and James Taylor, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROTATORY
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Allen
and James Taylor, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under our hands

page_text: and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Allen and James Taylor, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
rotatory engines to be worked by steam or other fluid, and when driven by
power is also applicable for pumping fluids. For this purpose an axis or
shaft is employed, which turns in suitable bearings carried by a frame or case.
Through this shaft or axis is formed a steam way or fluid passage, through
which the fluid passes to work the engine, and the fluid having acted against
a fixed transverse partition, which serves the purpose of the piston. it passes
into the case, and thence away by a suitable opening or passage. On the axis
or shaft is fixed the chamber, into and from which the fluid to work the engine
is admitted, and the fluid on being so admitted acts on the transverse partition
fixed across the chamber. The sides of the chamber in which the steam or
fluid acts may be perpendicular to the axis or shaft, or inclined thereto, and
the two sides may be also inclined to each other, and they may be of a curved
or straight form. The chamber in which the steam or fluid acts is divided by
a partition, at right angles to the transverse partition, which acts as a piston,
and such partition is on a portion of a sphere, the axis of which sphere is
so arranged and worked that it can, in the revolution of the shaft or axis of
the engine, assume different positions in respect to the shaft, so as to cause
the partition (which divides the chamber) at times to be at right angles
to the shaft, and at others to incline to the shaft on either side of the vertical.
By this arrangement the whole of the parts of the engine revolve with the
shaft or axis, except the case or framing; hence there is comparatively a small
amount of friction.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, we will proceed to describe

page_text: disk, showing the hollow shaft and steam ways; Figure 4 is a top view of part
of the hollow sphere, with the end view of the partition Y and exhaust port;
Figure 5 is a front view of the coned side S, showing the opening for the
partition and screws for adjusting the glands for ball; Figure 6 is a front view
of partition Y; Figure 7 is an edge view of partition Y; Figure 8 is a front
elevation of the engine; Figure 9 is a side elevation of the engine. The
chamber A, A, in which the steam acts, is of the form of a hollow globe with
two equal opposite sides cut away, being a zone of a hollow sphere, the
openings thus made in the sphere being closed in by two conical or straight
ends S, S, with the apices or faces pointing towards each other. The disk or
piston D, D, upon which the steam acts, is of the same diameter as the sphere,
upon the interior surface of which it works, steam-tight, by a metallic packing
ring T, T, of the sectional form shown. The ball E, E, has also passing
through its centre the hollow shaft G, G, which is fitted and keyed firmly,
one end of which works in the brass bush I, I, fitted on one of the sides of
eduction case F, F, at the proper angle, made steam-tight at the end; by
the spring gland X, X, the ball at the apices is made steam-tight by the
brass glands B, B, B, B, adjusted by the screws M, M, M, M, on each of
the sides.
The driving shaft H is fitted and keyed firmly into the boss N, which is
bolted firmly on the other side S, S, and works in the brass bush I, I, fitted in
the other side of eduction case, which shaft lies horizontal; the conic sides and
sphere with the disc inside are all fitted steam-tight and bolted firmly together,
so that the whole revolves within the eduction case and the drum O, or a
coupling fitted for communicating motion.
It will be seen from this, that the disc, held in the position shown, while
going round meets all the points in the opposite sides above and below. To
produce this motion, it is necessary that a partition Y, shown in Figure 1, be
fixed in the cylinder or steam chamber, extending from side to side, and a slit
or opening being made in the dise to pass over the partition plate. If steam
be then admitted through the gland P, along the hollow shaft G, and through
the steam ways Q, as shown, and allowed to pass at the opposite side of
partition, at the extremity of sphere, into the eduction case, a continuous
revolving motion will be produced.
The bearing of the bush I is made oblong, so as to admit of the disk being
always kept in constant contact with the sides by means of the screw V.
Instead of permitting the steam to escape at the extremity of the sphere, it
can be conveyed from either of the sides by making a steam way through the
horizontal shaft and ball to pass at the other side of the partition. The motion

page_text: of the machine can be either ways; the eduction and steam way at either side
alternately, as may be required.
If the steam is allowed to pass through the sphere in eduction case, it can
be conveyed away from top, bottom, or sides, as may be found convenient.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Allen and James Taylor, have
hereunto set
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
(L.B.)
JAMES ALLAN.
JAMES TAYLOR. (L.S.)
Witness,
W, SHIRER, Book-keeper,
Alexander Hall & Co., Ship Builder,
Aberdeen.