A Motor Operated by Compressed Air or Gas without Exhaust.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Motor Operated by Compressed Air or Gas without Exhaust.
We, JAMES BROOKHOUSE PRESTON of Petersham, Sydney in the Colony of
New South Wales, Engineer, and LEWIS HENRY NELSON of Pitt Street, Sydney
in the Colony of New South Wales, Stock Broker, do hereby declare the nature of
our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object the construction of a machine which has, as a
motive power, a charge of compressed air, gas or combination of gases, there being
no exhaust; that is to say, when once the machine is given its initial force, it will
work continuously giving out power without necessitating the renewal of such force,
except the little leakage that may take place, the latter loss being renewed by the
machine itself. It is so constructed that it may be reversed or stopped at will.
This is a novel application of a force which has hitherto been overlooked.
Fig. 1 is a front view partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a plan.
Our invention consists of a sphere A of cast iron, gun metal, or any other suitable
metal or material, through the centre of which passes the spindle a to which it is
keyed, the spindle a is capable of revolving in the bearings which rest on any
suitable frame, surrounding the sphere A is the strong metal ring d, which is also
rigidly attached to the frame c. Fitting the sphere A as perfectly as possible, are
two or more metal cups B and C of iron, gun metal, or any other suitable metal or
material, inside the cups B and C are the chambers e and f wedge shaped, substantially
as shewn and in the same direction. Through the ring d are the screw-pins q
which are used for holding the cups B and C in close contact with the sphere A and
for taking up wear. Or we may place the chambers inside the sphere A and make
the cups B and C into one continuous ring without chambers, or we may use a
cylinder and disc with the chambers for receiving the compressed air &c. either in
the cylinder or the disc, we may use a cone similarly constructed, or we may
construct the apparatus in the manner most suitable for our purpose. A reservoir D
is connected with the machine into which is pumped by the machine itself, acting
on a small pump k, sufficient air or gas to supply any leakage to the chambers e
and which may take place, the reservoir D being connected with the chambers e
and by means of the pipe g.
We will further explain our invention, the reservoir D being charged with air,
gas or combination of gases under pressure of say 150 lbs. to the square inch, the
chambers e and fare charged from the reservoir D with the air, gas or combination
of gases at the same pressure; owing to the wedge shaped openings e and fit will
be seen by the drawings Fig. 2 that there is a greater pressure in cup B acting on
one side of the centre of the sphere A at h than on the other side at j; and in the
cup C there is a greater pressure at than at j¹; this leverage being obtained the
compressed air or gas &c. in the chambers e and f being in direct contact with
the sphere A the sphere must revolve and with it the spindle a, and as the charge
cannot escape from the chambers e and f there is practically no exhaust. Little
power is required to keep the reservoir fully charged, this power being supplied
by the machine itself acting on the pump k. Power is taken off the spindle a in
the ordinary manner.
For stopping the machine either one of the cups B or C is revolved on the screw-
pin g 180°, as a consequence the pressure in the chamber e is acting in the opposite
direction to the pressure in chamber f, thus neutralizing the force of each other,
and the sphere A does not revolve.
For reversing, both cups B and C are revolved 180° on the screw-pins 9 the
pressure in the chambers e and f is now acting in the reverse direction and the
sphere now revolves in the reverse direction.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The application of enclosed air, gas or combination of gases under pressure,
acting with unequal or varied pressure on each side of a centre, on a sphere, disc,
cone, or any suitable curved surface, producing rotary motion without exhaust, and
with power of stoppage and reversal at will, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth.
2. The combination of the sphere, with the cups having wedge shaped chambers
charged with air, gas or combination of gases, under pressure, substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
3. The combination of a sphere having wedge shaped chambers, with a solid ring
fitting the sphere, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this Twenty-third day of March 1891.
JAMES BROOKHOUSE PRESTON.
LEWIS HENRY NELSON.