IM- PROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND POR TRANSMITTING AERIFORM BODIES AND FLUIDS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Barclay, of Montrose, in the County
of Forfar, North Britain, Merchant, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND
POR TRANSMITTING AERIFORM BODIES AND FLUIDS."
Sealed the 9th August 1853, and dated the 3d March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Barclay at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd March 1853.
I, ROBERT BARCLAY, of Montrose, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER,
AND FOR TRANSMITTING AERIFORM BODIES AND FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a simple and economical arrangement of
rotatory engine, which is also applicable as a pump, or as a blowing
and exhausting apparatus. It consists of an external fixed cylinder,
set with its axis horizontal, with the main driving shaft passing through
its centre. This cylinder, or. case, contains a smaller. hollow piston,
disc, or ring, set eccentrically to the main axis, and well fitted to roll

page_text: steam-tight round the interior of the outer chamber, the actual line of
contact between the two being kept steam-tight as they work together
by being pressed well into contact by an internal wheel or roller. This
roller is carried on the pin of a short crank on the main shaft, the
length of this crank being regulated by the diameter of the internal
roller, and the thickness of the disc of the rolling piston, round the
inside of which the inner roller rolls. A parallel block of metal, of
the same width as the revolving ring or piston, is fitted to slide ver-
tically between the two end covers of the fixed cylinder, and has an
over-head stuffing box, to admit of free but steam-tight movement.
The lower end of this piece of metal, which acts as the steam abut-
ment, rests in a shallow groove, in a block fitting to the periphery of
the rotating piston beneath. The steam, or other actuating medium,
is supplied by a port on one side of the abutment, into the eccentric
annular space between the interior of the fixed outer case and the
internal rolling disc piston, and the latter is thus compelled to roll
round its outer cylinder, carrying with it its internal roller, which,
being attached to the crank, thus communicates a rotatory motion to
the main shaft; after performing its work, the waste steam passes off
by an outlet on the other side of the abutment. To make the engine
double acting, so as to get rid of the dead point, a second abutment,
and set of ports, may be added. Then the main shaft is made to drive
the rest of the parts, the engine becomes a pump or exhausting
apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Barclay, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 3d September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT BARCLAY, of Montrose, in the County of Forfar, North Britain,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year

page_text: of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Robert Barclay, Her special licence that I, the said
Robert Barclay, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Barclay, my executors, administrators, or
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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND
IN TRANSMITTING AERIPORM BODIES AND FLUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Barclay, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 I, the said Robert Barclay, do hereby de-
clare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to a simple and economical arrangement
of rotatory motive-power engine, which is also applicable as a pump,
or as a blowing and exhausting apparatus. It consists of an external
fixed cylinder, set with its axes horizontal, with the main driving shaft
passing through its centre. This cylinder, or case, contains a smaller
hollow piston, disc, or ring, set eccentrically to the main axis, and
well fitted to roll steam-tight round the interior of the outer chamber,
the actual line of contact between the two being kept steam-tight as
they work together by being pressed well into contact by an internal
wheel or roller. This roller is carried on the pin of a short crank, on
the main shaft, the length of this crank being regulated by the
diameter of the internal roller, and the thickness of the disc of the
rolling piston, round the inside of which the inner roller rolls. A
parallel block of metal, of the same width as the. revolving ring cr

page_text: piston, is fitted to slide. vertically between the two end covers of the
fixed cylinder, and has an overhead stuffing box, to admit of free but
steam-tight movement. The lower end of this piece of metal, which
acts as the steam abutment, rests in a shallow groove, in a block fitting
to the periphery of the rotating piston beneath. The steam, or other
actuating medium, is supplied by a port on one side of the abutment
into the eccentric annular space between the interior of the fixed outer
case and the internal rolling disc piston; and the latter is thus com-
pelled to roll round its outer cylinder, carrying with it its internal
roller, which, being attached to the crank, thus communicates a rota-
tory motion to the main shaft. After performing its work, the waste
steam passes off by an outlet on the other side of the abutment. To
make the engine double acting, so as to get rid of the dead point, a
second abutment and set of ports may be added. When the main shaft
is made to drive the rest of the parts, the engine becomes a pump, or
exhausting apparatus.
Figure 1, on my sheet of Drawings, is a complete front elevation of
one modification of my rotatory engine in working order.; Figure 2, is
a corresponding side or edge elevation of the same, at right angles to
Figure 1; and Figure 3, is a vertical section, taken in the same
plane as, or corresponding to, Figure 1. The steam or working cylinder
A, is cast with or supported upon the two vertical pillars or standards B,
springing from the base or foundation plate C, and is bored truly out,
and has open ends covered in by the two end flanges or covers D, bolted
on. The main driving shaft E, passes horizontally and transversely
through the centre of this cylinder, being carried on each side by bear-
ings, in external bracket pieces F, bolted on to the end covers of the
cylinder across the central openings G, in those covers: outside each
cover is an eccentric H, keyed fast on the shaft, and fitted with working
rings of brass, in the usual manner; rods I, being passed down from each
eccentric ring, and jointed at J, to the two opposite ends of a bottom
cross head K. This cross head is fitted on a turned pin L, formed on the
lower end of the abutment, and a spring V, is interposed between the
cross head and the shoulder of the abutment. The diaphragm, or move-
able abutment, N, works through a vertical steam-tight slot in the cylinder

page_text: at O, having a stuffing box and gland M, on the under side of the founda-
tion plate. On one side or end, also, of the main shaft E, is the fly
wheel P, for steadying the movement. In the interior of the main work-.
ing cylinder A, is a smaller open-ended cylinder or ring Q, acting as the
working piston of the engine. This piston ring is accurately turned to
a cylindrical form, both inside and out, and its outer surface is arranged.
to bear closely on one side, at any given time, against the interior of.
the stationary cylinder A, with liberty to roll round upon such interior
surface, without any sliding or slipping action whatever; and being
quite steam-tight throughout its rolling movement, whilst the ends of
the ring or piston are made to work equally tight against the interior
surfaces of the end covers. As this piston ring rolls round in its.
working course, it carries along with it the internal crank lever arm,
or bracket R, which is keyed fast upon the main shaft; this bracket. R,
being mounted or fitted with three wheels or rollers, S, T, U, to form.
the connection between the interior of the piston Q, and the driving
shaft. The main central roller T, works freely upon a stud centre V,
in a brass accurately fitted into a longitudinal slot, in the. crank arm.
R. The under side of this brass bears upon a layer of india-rubber,
or other elastic material, or spring, W, in the supporting slot; the.
ordinary wedge adjustment X, being fitted into the piece R, beneath
the elastic bed, for the purpose of setting up the wheel T, with a
greater or less elastic pressure against the interior of the piston.
When thus fitted, the wheel T, has a uniformly elastic pressing action.
upon the interior of the piston, so that the rolling action is extremely
smooth, and the contact surfaces are kept well up together throughout
the revolution. The object of the two side wheels S, and U, which.
are carried respectively on stud centres Y, Z, set in the brackets.
a, b, of the crank lever R, is the reception of the pressure of the.
rolling piston Q, and the communication of such pressure to the main
shaft E. Thus, in one direction of the engine's revolution, the side
wheel S, receives the actuating pressure of the rolling piston Q; and.
it is this wheel at that time which is in reality the means of communi-
cation between the rolling piston and the shaft. Were there no side
wheels, it is obvious that the central wheel T, would furnish the

page_text: required means of connection, but, with the subsidiary wheels, the
central one is relieved from this angular strain, and answers simply as
the rolling abutment for the steam pressure.
On the engine being
reversed, the opposite side wheel, U, bears the rotatory pressure in a
similar way. The steam, or other actuating medium, is supplied to
the engine through a thoroughfare c, which has its opening at d, in
the base of one of the supporting pillars B. This thoroughfare con-
ducts the steam into the interior of the slide valve chest e, through
the port f, in the working face of the chest. The slide valve in this
chest is simply employed for reversing the direction of rotation of the
engine, or cutting off the steam altogether; it is connected to the
spindle g, working through a stuffing box h, in the end of the valve
chest, and is so contrived that its single cup chamber shall be adjust-
able to cover up two ports in the valve chest face: that face has four
ports, i, j, k, and f, in it; the first one, i, to the left of Figure 1,
communicates by the dotted thoroughfare 7, with the interior of the
working cylinder at m, on the corresponding side of the traversing
abutment N. The next port, j, in the line, opens into the eduction
thoroughfare n, for the escape of the waste or used steam, down through
the base of the left-hand column B, at o. The third port, K, opens
through the passage p, into the steam cylinder, to the right of the
traversing abutment N, at q; whilst the fourth port, as I have already
shewn, communicates with the steam boiler, or other source of power,
through the thoroughfare c, the boiler steam pipe being connected at d.
According to the indications of the several arrows in my drawings,
the side valve is adjusted so that its cup or hollow shall cover over the
two left-hand ports i, j; whilst the other two, k, and f, are open to the
steam supplied to the interior of the valve chest. The consequence of
this arrangement is, that the steam entering through the port f, from
the boiler, descends through the next port k, and passes thence into
the working cylinder through the passage p, to the right of the abut-
ment N. Then, as the abutment is in close contact at its upper edge
with the exterior of the piston Q, whilst its two edges work steam-
tight against the inner faces of the two end covers of the cylinder, the
inflowing steam necessarily acts, effectively upon that portion p, of the

page_text: piston between the abutment face and the point of rolling contacts,
of the exterior of the piston and the interior of the working cylinder.
The consequence of this pressure is, that the piston Q, is compelled to
roll round the interior of the cylinder A, and thus carry round with it
the main shaft E, the piston having no real centre to turn upon itself,
but being suspended, as it were, between the prominent portions of the
wheels S, T, U, and the interior of the steam cylinder. As the piston.
rolls forward in this way, the eccentrics H, upon the shaft, being so set
for the purpose, gradually bear up the abutment, to keep its upper
edge in contact with the receding piston surface, until the piston, having
rolled round again, begins to descend, when the eccentrics bring the
abutment down, still keeping it in contact with the piston's periphery,.
until the top of the abutment coincides with the interior of the steam
cylinder, when the piston can roll clear round or over it, and the
revolution is completed. All this time, whilst the fresh steam is
entering and aeting in the space t, in the cylinder, the used steam of
the previous stroke is escaping from the opposite space u, to the
exhaust thoroughfare z, whence it passes through the port i, into the
cup of the slide valve; and as this cup also covers the port j, the
exhaust current goes direct to the latter port, and finally emerges at e.
As the abutment N, rises again at the passage round of the piston, the
full-pressure steam obviously acts as before, in impelling round the
piston from the right side of the abutment; but if the reverse motion
is required, then the engineer reverses the position of the slide valve,
and covers up, in connection with each other, the two central ports
j, k, whilst the two external ports are left open. In this state of the
valve, the influx steam from the boiler, flowing in from the port f,
passes down through the first port i, and thus enters the steam cylinder
on the reverse or left side of the abutment, so as to urge round the
piston and its shaft in the opposite direction, the exhaust steam
meanwhile flowing off from the right side of the abutment through the
passage k, into the cup of the slide, and thence down the port j, to
the exhaust discharge o: in this way the steam is made to act for
either direction of revolution, with an almost continuous effect, the
abutment N, being made to follow exactly the corresponding portion

page_text: of the periphery of the piston Q, at all parts of the revolution; 'and to.
aid in the exact fitting of the abutment, a blade spring V, is fitted
to the cross head K, so as to afford a means of elastic connection
between the abutment and the piston. In the special arrangement
which I have delineated in my drawings, the packing of the end work-
ing surfaces is effected by means of metallic packing rings, one on each
side, and each bevilled on the inner side, to correspond to similar
bevilled edges on the piston.
I may also remark that the central wheel T, is a double one, or
has a deep central groove all around it, so that the other two wheels
S, U, may work down within it quite freely. Instead of the arrange-
ment of rolling piston with supporting wheels, as I have hitherto
referred to herein, I can obtain a similar result by means of a crank
on the shaft only. In this case the piston must have an actual centre
of its own, through which centre the pin of a crank formed in the
driving shaft is made to pass, the radius of the crank being made to
correspond with the intended amount of eccentricity of the piston. By
this simple modification the revolving piston may be retained in close
rolling contact with the interior of the steam cylinder, just as I have
already described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which
I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of my.Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of motive power
and pumping or transmitting apparatus, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a rotating piston or revolving
cylinder, adjusted in the interior of a larger fixed cylinder, for the
obtainment and communication of motive power by a continuous roll-
ing and revolving action...

page_text: Third, the system or mode of obtaining and applying motive power
by means of a rolling piston, or cylindrical piece of metal, rotating
round the axis of the main driven shaft, and in contact with the
interior of a cylindrical working chamber.
Fourth, the system or mode of communicating the actuating power
of a rolling piston to the driven shaft, through the intervention of a
bearing roller or rollers in the interior of such rolling piston.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Barclay, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ROBERT BARCLAY. (L.s.)