Year: 1898

page_text: I, WILLARD REED GREEN, of 1325, Gilpin Street, Denver, Colorado, Gentleman,
at present residing at Lombard House, George Yard, Lombard Street, in the City.
of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in motive-power engines, which im-
provements are also applicable to pumps.
The said invention is more especially designed to simplify the construction and
mode of operation of reciprocating engines whether operated by steam, explosive
gas or other motive fluid.
An important feature of the invention consists in providing means whereby, for
the purpose of operating the valves, the piston or plunger of the engine or pump
during its travel has imparted to it a rotary movement, so that, for
example, a point on the circumference of the said piston will follow a spiral path
instead of travelling in a straight line, as in ordinary reciprocating engines.
According to one arrangement the piston-rod has on its outer extremity a pinion
provided with helical or inclined teeth. This pinion is adapted to gear with a
dise or wheel centred on the crank pin, and having lateral spiral or scroll-like
teeth, so that as the pin revolves, the disc drives the pinion on the piston-rod and
so rotates the piston.
The ports may be formed in the cylinder ends and be controlled by rotary
plates or valves operated by the piston, the said valves being connected together
by tie-rods or stays parallel with the piston-rod and passing through holes in the
piston, so that the latter slides to-and-fro on said tie-rods or stays.
The connecting-rod is attached to the piston-rod by a grooved collar or other
suitable means which will permit it to receive the to-and-fro movements of the
piston-rod, but not the rotary movements thereof. The said connecting rod may
be bent or bow-shaped so as to enable it to clear the pinion on the end of the
piston rod.
According to another arrangement the piston may be arranged to work inside
a sleeve or liner fitted in the cylinder and having suitable ports or passages cut in
The said
it to correspond to ports or passages in the walls of the cylinder.
sleeve or liner may be caused, in any convenient manner, to partake of the rotary
motion of the piston, and of the reciprocating motions thereof.
Obviously any suitable means, other than the scroll disc and pinion above re-
ferred to, may be employed for imparting the rotary motion to the piston.
Dated this 15th day of January 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Motive-power Engines, applicable also to Pumps.
I, WILLARD REED GREEN, of 1325, Gilpin Street, Denver, Colorado, in the
United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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:
This invention relates to improvements in motive-power engines, which im-
provements are also applicable to pumps.
The said invention is more especially designed to simplify the construction and
mode of operation of reciprocating engines whether operated by steam, explosive
gas or other motive fluid.
An important feature of the invention consists in providing means whereby, for
the purpose of operating the valves, the piston or plunger of the engine, or pump,
during its travel has imparted to it a continuous rotary movement, so that, for
example, a point on the circumference of the said piston will follow a spiral path
instead of travelling in a straight line, as in ordinary reciprocating engines.
According to one arrangement, the piston rod is in connection with a pinion
provided with helical or inclined teeth. This pinion is adapted to gear with a
disc or wheel centred on the crank pin, and having lateral spiral or scroll-like
teeth, so that as the pin revolves the disc drives the pinion and so rotates the
piston rod and piston.
The ports may be formed in the cylinder ends and be controlled by rotary
plates or valves operated by the piston, the said valves being connected together
by tie-rods or stays parallel with the piston rod and passing through holes in the
piston, so that the latter slides to and fro on said tie rods or stays.
Suitable means are provided which will permit the connecting rod
to receive the to-and-fro movements of the piston rod, but not the rotary move-
ments thereof. The said connecting rod may be bent or bow-shaped so as to
enable it to clear the pinion on the end of the piston rod.
According to another arrangement, the piston may be arranged to work inside
a sleeve or liner fitted in the cylinder and having suitable ports or passages cut in
it to correspond to ports or passages in the walls of the cylinder. The said
sleeve or liner may be caused, in any convenient manner, to partake of the rotary
motion of the piston and of the reciprocating motions thereof.
By these means the use of valves of the ordinary kind is avoided, the ports in
the cylinder and in the piston sleeve co-acting to serve the function of valves.
Also, by the turning movement given to the piston while making its reciprocat-
ing movement, the friction of the piston sleeve upon the walls of the cylinder is
reduced, the action and result being similar to that of twisting a cork while insert-
ing it into the neck of a bottle, thus enabling it to be inserted easier and farther
than if inserted upon straight lines.
Obviously any suitable means, other than the scroll disc and pinion above re-
ferred to, may be employed for imparting the rotary motion to the piston.
And in order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will describe the same fully by aid of the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section showing one arrangement of a vertical
single cylinder steam engine constructed according to the said invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof at right angles to Fig. 1.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the cylinder of the said engine, drawn to
a larger scale.
Fig. is a horizontal section on the line,, Fig. 3, the piston and the parts
immediately connected therewith being removed.
Fig. 5 shews detached, one of the valves which are operated with a rotary
motion by the piston.
Fig. 6 is a part section on the line y, y, Fig. 1, looking towards the right, and
shewing the mechanism for rotating the piston.
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing certain parts of the said mechanism as
they appear when viewed from the left (Fig. 1).
Fig. 8 is a vertical section shewing an engine having its piston provided with
a sleeve or liner in which are suitable ports or passages, and which serve instead of
the rotary plates or valves above mentioned.
Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view showing the piston with the ports which per-
form the function of valves in this device when co-operating with the inlet and
exhaust ports of the cylinder.
Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line z, z, Fig. 8, shewing in section the chests
covering the inlet and the exhaust.
Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the movement of the piston ports
displayed on a plane surface, showing the travel and successive contacts of the
piston ports with the cylinder ports during one complete revolution of the piston.
Fig. 12 is a detail similar view of some different forms of said ports.
Fig. 13 is a vertical section of the cylinder of an engine constructed according
to this invention, and wherein the piston works inside a liner which rotates but
does not move endwise.
Figs. 14 and 15 are horizontal sections taken respectively on the lines,,
and y, y, Fig. 13.
Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 7:
a is the cylinder of the engine which is supported by suitable standards a¹ on
a framing or casing a².
is the rotary and reciprocating piston, and b is the piston rod, the lower
extremity of which is in rotary connection by a flexible or universal joint 6* with
a rod c which acts in the manner hereinafter described, and forms a continuation
of said piston rod. The piston may be so connected with the piston rod that it
can be turned relatively thereto so as to adjust it.
d is the crank pin which is, in the present instance, mounted between a pair
of crank discs d' on the shaft d, on which latter the fly wheel d³ is mounted.
The arrangement whereby the rotary motion is imparted to the piston, comprises
a pinion e secured on the lower end of the rod c and provided with helical or
inclined teeth el. This pinion is driven by a disc or wheel f centred on the crank
pin d and having lateral spiral or scroll-like teeth f¹ which gear with the teeth e¹.
The arrangement is such that as the pin d is carried round by the disc d' the
scroll disc f drives the pinion e, and the rod c is rotated, and in turn causes he
rotation of the piston rod b¹ and piston b.
The connection between the crank pin d and the rod c is effected, as shewn
more clearly in Fig. 6, by an arm or connecting-rod c¹ so shaped or curved as to
clear the pinion e. The said rode has its upper extremity forked, as at ², and
provided with a cap or cover so as to fit between a pair of collars fast on the
rod c, thus permitting the latter to turn freely whilst maintaining the connection
with the rod c¹.
The lower end of the said rod is secured to the crank pin d by means of a
lateral projection or bracket which fits under the said pin and has a cover
plate caused to bear, by bolts c, on the upper part of the said pin.
The arrangement of the valves and the means for operating them are as
follows:-
g.g', are respectively the inlet and exhaust ports which are formed in the
cylinder covers a³, and are in communication, the former with the steam supply

page_text: pipe g², and the latter with the exhaust pipe g³, through suitable steam passages g*
in the cylinder and end covers.
The said ports are controlled by rotary plates or valves h of plano-convex form
let into the cylinder covers. These rotary valves have a series of ports ¹ in
them which are brought in succession opposite the proper inlet and exhaust
ports g, g¹.
The number of these ports depends on the relative rapidity of rotation of the
piston, that is to say on the ratio of gearing of the pinion e and disc f, so as to
ensure the cylinder ports being opened and closed at proper times, the gearing e, f,
being arranged to produce one revolution of the piston to four revolutions of the
crank.
The said valves are connected together by tie-rods h² parallel with the piston
rod and passing through holes or apertures 2 in the piston, so that the latter
can slide freely to-and-fro on the said rods, but imparts to them, and consequently
to the valves h, the desired movement of rotation.
The result of this construction is, that as the piston moves up and down, the
motion is imparted to the crank pin through the rods c, el exactly as if these two
rods formed a single connecting rod, as in an ordinary engine. As the crank
pin revolves, the pinion e is rotated by the disc f, and imparts its motion to the
piston, and the latter drives the rotary valves h as above described, thus bringing
the ports successively opposite the ports 9, 9, and alternately opening the two
ends of the cylinder to the steam admission and exhaust ports.
An engine constructed in the manner described is capable of running, without
undue vibration, at a speed much higher than is possible with the ordinary con-
struction of reciprocating engines, as the rotation of the piston is continuous.
in
As shewn in Figs. 8 to 12, the arrangement just described may be modified by
dispensing with the rotary valves and forming the piston inside a sleeve
which are two sets of ports,, adapted to open and close the steam inlet and
exhaust ports g,g, in the cylinder. The ports 64 are arranged above, and the
ports below, the piston. The end covers a of the cylinder are, in this case,
of dished shape, or recessed, as shewn in Fig. 8, so as to project within the sleeve
of the piston, suitable spaces at being left between the covers and the cylinder to
accommodate the said sleeve when the piston is at the ends of its stroke.
In this case, as the sleeve partakes both of the rotary and of the reciprocating
movements of the piston b, the ports 4, 5, travel in a spiral direction, and the
ports and glare correspondingly arranged to meet the said ports 4, in their
travel.
The arrangement for revolving the piston is substantially similar to that already
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, the corresponding parts in both arrange-
ments being similarly lettered. The connection between the rods c, c', in this case
is made much higher up, and the lower end of the rod e fits into a suitable recess
or footstep bearing in the bracket, whereby greater strength is obtained.
The operation is as follows:-Supposing the piston to be set in motion by the
expansive action of the fluid entering the cylinder through the pipe and one
of the ports in the piston wall, the crank pin d and scroll disc f are set into rotary
motion, revolving around the crank shaft. At the same time the pinion e is
carried around with the bracket, and is simultaneously revolved by reason of
its intermeshing with the scroll-teeth f¹ of scroll disc f. This causes the rod c to
slowly revolve, carrying with it the piston rod 61 and the piston. This rotation
of the piston, in conjunction with its longitudinal travel, brings the ports 64, 65
in its walls into successive conjunction with the inlet port g and exhaust port g¹
in the cylinder walls, said ports being so located with respect to each other as to
be in conjunction at the proper times to allow the desired inlet and exhaust of the
working fluid.
In the example under consideration, the scroll gear, by which the piston is
revolved, is shewn so arranged as to produce one revolution of said piston to four
revolutions of the crank shaft, and consequently four ports are required in the

page_text: apper part of the piston sleeve and four ports 65 are required in the lower part of
he piston sleeve. These ports, as above stated, successively communicate with
he ports g and g in the cylinder wall, first acting as inlet ports with the ports g,
and then as exhaust ports with the ports g¹, or the reverse, if the engine is to be
driven in the opposite direction, the piston in this case being given one eighth of
a revolution on the down stroke, and one eighth of a revolution on the up stroke.
This is continued throughout the whole operation, consequently the ports in the
piston sleeve are located in their distribution around the circumference of the
piston alternately in the upper and lower parts of the sleeve, so that the ports in
either part are upon longitudinal lines passing between the ports upon the other
part. In this way, the alternate application of the working fluid upon the two
sides of the piston is provided for and co-acts with the movement of the piston, a
port in one part of the piston acting as an inlet, while the co-operating port in the
other part is acting as an exhaust port, and thereby the reciprocating movement
of the piston is produced.
The revolutions of the piston, as above stated, are goverened by the gear on the
crank-pin co-operating with the pinion on the rod c.
Now, to commence with the operation of taking in the working fluid as indi-
cated in Fig 11, one of the ports in the piston has an opening to the inlet g,
and, as the up stroke continues by the rotating motion of the piston the opening
of the cylinder port becomes more open to the piston port for the inlet of the
The point of the
working fluid and closes at any required point of the stroke.
stroke can be regulated by the turning of the piston so that the port in the
piston will not come fully into contact with the port in the cylinder, but will
be partly closed in the travel of the piston. The inlet port in the piston on one
stroke becomes the exhaust port on the succeeding stroke, so that as the rotation
of the piston is equal on all parts of the stroke the piston ports are caused to
alternately communicate with the inlet and outlet ports on the eighth of a revo-
lution.
It is obvious that any other distribution of the ports in the cylinder walls and
in the sleeve of the piston, suitable to the circumstances of use, may be adopted,
as desired.
It will be understood that the desired point of cut off, release, lap and lead, can
be attained by the disposition and form of the ports, which can be of any form
or relative size or location desired, as indicated in Fig. 12; also that the rate of
may be any desired
revolution of the piston relatively to that of the crank shaft
ratio, according to the relative gear of scoll disc f and pinion e
In case of small engines the diagonal thrust of the rod c may be sustained by
the ordinary gland 5, but with larger engines a cross-head and the usual ways
are employed as guides for the piston rod.
It will also be understood that the relation between the ports in the walls of
the piston and those in the cylinder may be determined or altered by changing
the relative position at which the piston is set or fixed upon the piston rod bl.
In other words, by moving the piston on the piston rod to the right or left, as
desired, the character of the engagement of the ports will be altered and thereby
the admission of the operating fluid will be cut off at an earlier or later portion of
the stroke as desired.
Referring now to the arrangement shewn in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, the sleeve b³
shewn in the previous arrangement is dispensed with, and instead thereof a rotary
sleeve or liner i is employed and forms the valve, the inlet and exhaust ports g, g²,
being situated in the cylinder near the ends thereof instead of in the covers.
The rotary movement of the piston is effected in the same way as above
described, or in any other convenient manner, and may be communicated to the
sleeve or liner, for example by means of a feather or tongue 66 on the piston
5 working in a slot in the liner.
At each end of the liner is a valve port 22. These ports are brought successively

page_text: opposite the steam inlet and exhaust ports g, g, as the liner revolves, which i
does once to every revolution of the crank-shaft.
Obviously, any of the foregoing constructions can be applied to pumps by suit
ably modifying the arrangement of the valves, and by imparting the necessary
reciprocating and rotary motion to the piston.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sai
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that wha
I claim is:-
1. In a motive power engine, of the class herein described, a cylinder provided
with cylinder heads having inlet and outlet ports therein, rotary distributing discs
or valves, and a revoluble piston in said cylinder, connected with and driving said
rotary distributing discs or valves by suitable mechanism, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
2. In a motive power engine, a piston, a cylinder and heads therefor provided
with ports or passages for induction and eduction of the working fluid, and rotary
distributing discs or valves provided with ports or passages, said dises being
rigidly connected by rods passing through the piston, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
3. In a motive power engine, a cylinder and heads therefor provided with induc-
tion and eduction ports and passages, a revoluble piston connected with and
operating rotary valve discs in the ends of the said cylinders, a piston rod and a
connecting rod with a universal joint between, and means for positively turning
the said rods and pistons in accordance with the reciprocating movements of the
engine, substantially as specified.
4. In a motive power engine, a cylinder and heads therefor provided with induc-
tion and eduction ports and passages, rotary distributing discs, or valves in the
opposite heads connected together and turning in one direction, within the cylin-
der, and a revoluble piston, piston rod and connecting rod, the latter attached to
the crank pin bearing and turned positively by suitable mechanism, in accordance
with the reciprocating movements of the engine, substantially as specified.
5. In a motive power engine a cylinder, revoluble discs or valves in the ends
thereof, induction and eduction ports and passages in the cylinder head and corre
sponding ports in the revoluble discs or valves, and means for turning the said
discs or valves positively and in accordance with the reciprocating movements
of the engine, substantially as specified.
6. In a motive power engine, a cylinder, and heads therefor provided with in-
duction and eduction ports and passages, a revoluble piston, piston-rod and rod
turning in one direction, and distributing dises or valves mounted in the heads
of the said cylinder, driven positively by gearing connecting them positively with
the crank and crank shaft, through said revoluble piston and rods, so as to move
in accordance with the reciprocating movements of the engine, substantially as
specified.
7. In a motive power engine, having a cylinder, rotary disc valves in the ends
thereof, a reciprocating piston, and piston rod, a means for rotating said rotary
valves, consisting of a rod with suitable joint connection with the piston rod, bear-
ing on its lower end a spirally toothed pinion meshing with and impelled by a
scroll-toothed gear wheel borne on the crank disc concentric with the crank pin,
substantially as specified.
8. In a motive power engine, a cylinder provided with recessed cylinder heads,
a revoluble sleeved piston in said cylinder, inlet and exhaust ports in the cylin-
drical walls of said cylinder, ports in the cylindrical walls of said sleeved piston,
and means between the piston and the engine crank for continuously rotating said
piston in one direction while it is making both its reciprocating strokes, substan-
tially as specified.
9. In a motive power engine, a cylinder having in its cylindrical walls inlet
and exhaust ports, a revoluble sleeved piston in said cylinder having ports in said

page_text: sleeve, a piston rod connected therewith, and means connected to the crank for
positively turning said rod and piston continuously while making their recipro-
cating movements, substantially as specified.
10. In a motive power engine, a cylinder having in its cylindrical walls inlet
and exhaust ports, a revoluble sleeved piston in said cylinder having ports in
the walls of said sleeve, a piston rod connected to said piston, a rod connected by
a suitable joint to said piston rod, and means for positively and continuously turn-
ing said rods and piston while making their reciprocating movements, substan-
tially as specified.
11. In a motive power engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in its
cylindrical walls, a revoluble sleeved piston in said cylinder having ports in the
walls of said sleeve, a piston rod, a rod connected by a suitable joint with said
piston rod, a pinion fixed on the lower end of said rod, a scroll-toothed gear wheel
fixed on the engine crank disc concentric with the crank pin and meshing with
said pinion, a shaft, a crank disc on said shaft, and a crank pin, operatively con-
nected and co-acting, whereby a positive continuous rotary motion in the same
direction is transmitted to the piston by the revolution imparted to the engine
shaft by the reciprocating movements of said piston and the ports in said piston
are successively presented to the inlet and exhaust ports of the cylinder in due
order of alternation, substantially as specified.
12. In a motive power engine, a cylinder having recessed cylinder heads and
inlet and exhaust ports in its cylindrical walls, a sleeved piston
therein having ports in its sleeve, શ piston-rod connected to said
piston with means for adjusting the piston on the rod and means
operatively connected therewith and with the shaft of said engine by which said
piston is rotated continuously in the same direction and the ports in said cylinder
and in said sleeve are brought successively into operative communication, whereby
the working medium is admitted to and exhausted from said cylinder and piston
and imparts reciprocating motion to said piston, substantially as specified.
13. In a motive power engine, a cylinder having ports of suitable form, size,
and location in its cylindrical walls, a revoluble sleeved piston in said cylinder
having corresponding ports in its sleeve, a piston-rod connected with said piston
with means for adjusting the piston on the rod and means operatively connected
with the engine shaft and with said piston rod for positively turning said piston
rod and attached piston continuously in the same direction, whereby the lap,
lead, and exhaust of said ports may be fixed or determined by the relative speeds
of the rotation and the reciprocating movement of said piston, substantially as
specified.
14. In a motive power engine, a cylinder having ports in its cylindrical walls, a
revoluble sleeved piston in said cylinder having ports in said sleeve, a piston rod
connected to said piston and a joint upon the end of said piston rod to alter and
determine the relative operative engagement of said ports by turning said piston
rod and piston relatively to the ports in said cylinder, and means for positively
turning said piston rod and piston, substantially as specified.
15. A motive power engine, or pump, the piston of which rotates as it recipro-
cates and which has its parts combined and arranged to operate substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, to Figs. 8 to 12, or to
Figs. 13 to 15 of the annexed drawings.
[
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, & 5A, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.