Improvements in Compound Rotary Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Rotary Engines.
We, ISAAC MILTON HOUSE, of the Town of Gravenhurst, in the District of
Muskoka, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Machinist, and WILLIAM JOSEPH
OVEREND, of Simcoe Street, in the Town of Peterboro, in the County of Peterboro,
in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Hotel-keeper, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in compound rotary engines and the
object of the invention is to design a form of rotary turbine engine capable of
being reversed and which will utilize to the greatest extent possible the maximum
and minimum expansive force of the steam and the full and decreased head thereof
and it consists essentially of a plurality of parallelly arranged cylindrical casings
connected at their ends, so as to form a continuous passage-way for the steam from
inlet to exhaust, the interior of the casings being provided with peculiarly arranged
stationary and rotating wings or vanes and each cylindrical casing having its own
separate vane shaft to which the power of the steam is applied, such shafts being
designed to be utilized in the manner hereinafter more particularly explained.
Fig. 1, is a perspective view partially broken away to exhibit the construction
and arrangement of our improved engine.
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section through one of the parallelly arranged casings.
Fig. 3, is a plan view of our rotary engine on a reduced scale showing the shaft
of each casing arranged with propellor wheels for marine use.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail of the ring containing the stationary steam direct-
ing vanes.
Fig. 5, is a detail of the ring provided with the peripherially arranged vanes by
which motion is communicated to the shaft.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A A' A3 and A³ are the cylindrical casings, which are arranged parallelly as
shown and provided with suitable dome-shaped heads B, the casings and head
being supported at each end by the standards C and D.
In the drawing we show two sets of two casings arranged parallelly directly
above and beside each other. Within each cylindrical casing are a series of rings E
having formed with or otherwise internally attached to the ring a series of direct-
ing vanes e, the planes of which are obliquely arranged to the axis. The inner
ends of the vanes are attached to or form part of a ring E.
It will be seen that the vanes e extend but half the width of the internal periphery
of the ring E, the rest of the space being taken up by the vane ring F, the vanes f
of which are obliquely and reversely set to the vanes e of the ring E. The vane
rings E are securely and frictionally held together and from rotating within the
perimeter of the cylinder by the end pressure of the dome-shaped heads B. The
vane rings F are secured to the hollow cylinder G provided with tapered ends g,
such cylinder being suitably secured to the main shaft H of the cylinder, which is

page_text: supported in suitable bearings provided with suitable packing in the dome-shaped
heads B.
I and I are the inlet ports, which are located in the branches J and J¹ formed in
the heads and are provided with suitable steam pipes leading thereto from the
boiler. Kand K' are suitable exhaust pipes connected together as shown by suit-
able expansive joint k and leading to a common pipe K2 and are the valve
cranks, which are connected together by a link, so that when one exhaust port
valve is opened the other one will be closed.
The lower front dome-shaped heads B are connected together by the branches L
having the expansion joint connection at the centre. The dome-shaped heads B¹
at the ends of the pipes A and A¹ are connected by the branches M having
expansion joints m and the dome-shaped heads B' on the ends of the cylinders A
and A3 are connected together by the branches N also provided with suitable
expansion joints connecting the branches.
The operation of our engine is as follows. Provided the steam inlet port used
is the arm will be swung so as to throw open the exhaust port branch pipe K
and close the branch exhaust port K. The full head of steam entering through
the port I would pass into the dome-shaped head and through the several vane
rings and directing vanes e, such directing vanes serving to convey the steam
from each preceding revolving vane ring to the succeeding ones in its passage
through the cylinder. As the vane rings are attached to the shaft through the
cylinder G it will be seen that the shaft II of each cylinder will be caused to rotate.
The steam of course passing from one cylinder to the other starting at the
cylinder A and passing through the cylinders A¹ A3 and A2 and exhausting through
the pipe K at a minimum pressure will cause all the shafts to rotate in the same
direction.
As the course of the steam is impeded and operates from the maximum to a
minimum pressure where it exhausts it will of course be understood that the speed
of all the shafts will be identical. It is to be especially noted that these shafts
are arranged parallelly with connecting end branches, so that there is a continuous
passage-way for the steam from inlet of the first cylinder to the exhaust of the
last cylinder, thereby utilizing to the greatest extent possible the maximum and
minimum expansive force and head of the steam.
In Fig. 3, we show the shaft H with propelling wheels H¹ on the ends, this form
being designed especially for marine engines.
In case it is desired to rotate our engine only in one direction we would prefer-
ably in this case make the vanes of the wheel F curvular in form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a compound rotary engine, the combination of a plurality of cylinders
parallelly arranged and having suitable heads and independent shafts extending
through the same, branches connecting the heads in such a manner so as to form a
continuous conduit and suitable inlet and exhaust ports at the ends of the conduit,
a series of rings in each cylinder provided with obliquely arranged steam direct-
ing vanes and a series of interposed rings secured to the shaft extending through
each cylinder and reversely set to the stationary vanes as and for the purpose
specified.
2. In combination a plurality of cylinders parallelly arranged suitable heads
therefor, shafts extending throughout the cylinders and through the heads, the
enlarged drum or cylinder with tapered ends secured to the shaft, a series of rings
secured to the internal drum or cylinder and provided with suitably obliquely
arranged vanes, a series of rings provided with directing vanes reversely set to the
rotating vanes and interposed between them throughout the length of the cylinder,
such rings abutting each other and being frictionally held in place by the heads,

page_text: branches connecting the heads of the series of parallelly arranged cylinders, so as
to form a continuous passage-way through them, suitable inlet and exhaust ports
arranged so as to reverse the flow of the steam through the cylinders and suitable
standards supporting such cylinders as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 17th day of October 1898.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.