Improvements in Turbine-motors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Turbine-motors.
I, NILS NILSSON, of No. 20, Clinton Street, Brooklyn, County of Kings, and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in turbine-motors; and it has for its
main object the provision of an improved motor of this type in which the force
or energy of an expansible fluid under pressure may be used to better advantage
and with a higher degree of efficiency than has been the case heretofore to drive
a turbine-wheel.
In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to employ, in connection with a
turbine-wheel having blades or buckets against which the motive-fluid will be
directed, suitable fluid-supplying means embodying preferably a plurality of
passages of such lengths and cross-section as to facilitate the transformation of a
body of gaseous fluid under high pressure into a jet or stream of relatively small
cross-section, in which most of the pressure of the fluid is exerted lengthwise of
the jet as velocity, and comparatively little pressure is exerted transversely.
These jets or streams of fluid, transformed into moving bodies of fluid of high
velocity and relatively low transverse pressure, may be impelled against the
faces of the blades or buckets of the turbine-wheel in such a manner that sub-
stantially all of the force or energy of each jet will be transmitted to a driven
member, preferably approximately perpendicular to the path of the moving.
stream, in order to utilize to the best advantage the longitudinal energy or
pressure of the jet. In the preferred construction each jet of fluid will be
directed against one wall of a fluid-receiving chamber in a turbine-wheel of
proper construction, and the receiving end of this fluid-receiving chamber should
be as close as possible to the discharge end of the passage through which the jet
is delivered to the turbine. The cross-sectional area of the fluid-receiving chamber
co-operating with any such passage should be approximately that of the discharge
end of such passage for the purpose of conserving that portion of the energy of
the jet or stream which is exhibited as transverse pressure and which when the
fluid is further expanded may be capable of doing effective work as a wheel-pro-
pelling medium. Hence in the construction the cross-sectional areas of the
receiving ends of the several fluid-chambers of the turbine-wheel, though some-
what greater than the corresponding areas of the discharge ends of the fluid-
passages through which the jets are delivered, are yet approximately the same;
and such chambers may be advantageously so formed as to taper toward their
discharge ends and thus conserve such transverse energy of the jet or stream until
the fluid of the stream shall have reached a point where such fluid can be expanded
effectively for the purpose of imparting an additional impulse to the wheel for
rotating the latter.
This expansion of the fluid of the jet is effected at the
receiving end of a fluid-discharging chamber opening into a fluid-receiving
chamber and having a receiving end of greater cross-sectional area than that of
the discharge end of such receiving-chamber. Hence it will be apparent that

page_text: by reason of this construction the fluid will expand suddenly when it reaches
the receiving end of the discharge-chamber and will react upon the walls of the
latter, the energy exerted by such reaction serving as a means for imparting an
additional impulse to the wheel in the direction of its rotation for accelerating
the speed of movement of the latter.
It will be evident, therefore, that one of the main features of this invention
is the employment of a turbine-wheel having fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging
chambers in which the receiving end of each discharge-chamber is of greater area
than the discharge end of the corresponding fluid-receiving-chamber into which
such discharge-chamber opens.
It will be seen, moreover, that in the preferred construction not only is each
discharge-chamber dissimilar to the receiving-chamber in point of size, but that
such discharge-chamber is also inclined at a different angle to the plane of rota-
tion of the turbine-wheel, the best construction being that in which the forward
walls of each co-operating pair of fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging chambers
form a V-shaped surface. The object of this is of course to utilize the force or
energy of the fluid to the best advantage, both as a jet or stream exerting a direct
pressure against the forward wall of the fluid-discharging chamber and as an
expanding-fluid exerting, by reaction, due to transverse expansion, an additional
force on the forward face or wall of the fluid-discharging chamber to accelerate.
the rotation of the wheel. Owing to the oblique disposition of the discharge-
chamber relative to the plane of rotation of the wheel and to the fluid-receiving
chamber coacting therewith, substantially all of the energy of the jet exerted in
longitudinal direction, and also that exerted transversely on the expansion of the
jet, will be utilized either directly or by reaction before the fluid escapes from
the discharge end of the fluid-discharging chamber and is permitted to pass out
through a suitable exhaust.
It will be noted, moreover, that not only does each fluid-receiving chamber
taper toward its discharge end, but that each fluid-discharging chamber gradually
widens toward its discharge end, the walls thereof diverging in order to permit
a continuous and gradual expansion after the first sudden expansion of the fluid
on entering the discharge-chamber, this gradual expansion assuring the utilization
of nearly all of the energy which may be exhibited as transverse pressure.
While, as has been stated, the forward face of each fluid-receiving chamber is
.preferably disposed obliquely to the plane of rotation of the wheel, and while
the supply-passages by means of which the fluid is delivered to the receiving-
chambers of the wheel are also oblique to such plane of rotation, yet said passages
and chambers have different degrees of obliquity, the passages being inclined at
a more acute angle to the plane of rotation than said chambers; and these supply-
passages will also be disposed tangentially to the path of movement of the
wheel.
As it is desirable to provide some means for varying the supply of fluid to the
wheel to permit the latter to be run at a high or at a considerably lower rate of
speed, I deem it important to provide, in connection with the fluid-supplying
means, suitable fluid-controlling means for regulating the flow of fluid delivered
to the rotary driven member or wheel proper. In this case the fluid-controlling
means which I prefer to employ will be operative for opening or closing com-
munication between the fluid-supplying means and some or all of the receiving-
chambers of the wheel; and usually a valve, preferably oscillatory, shiftable
between two extreme positions and having a plurality of ports adapted to open
or close such communication in accordance with the position of the valve, will
be employed for this purpose. Here the valve used has two dissimilar sets of
supply-ports one of which sets will-co-operate at one time, while another set will
co-operate at another time, with more or less of such passages, the two sets being
selected alternatively, the one to turn on the fluid through all of the supply-
passages and the other to turn on the fluid through only a portion of such
passages.

page_text: When the motor is run at too high a rate of speed, the rate of rotation of the
driven member or wheel should be reduced, and usually this will be accomplished
by means of an automatic governor controlled by the driven member and governing
the operation of the fluid-controlling means or cut-off-valve. In this case when
the wheel is running at high speed the governor will shift the valve to a position
where some only of the fluid-passages will communicate with the fluid-supply,
and here such supply will be reduced by one-half by this shifting of the valve.
Of course it will be evident that during such shifting movement the supply from
all of the open ports will be reduced gradually up to the point of cut-off, and
that the supply will be turned on gradually to the lesser number of ports by the
movement of the valve to its other extreme position.
Other important features of this invention, which need not be more fully
referred to at this point, but which will be described in detail hereinafter, relate
to the construction of the turbine-wheel and to the manner in which it is mounted
to yield transversely to the shaft in order to prevent undue strain on the latter
in starting under a heavy load or at an increased rate of speed.
My improved turbine-motor embodies a turbine-wheel, which may be mounted
yieldingly on a shaft, so as to be capable of movement transverse to the shaft to
prevent excessive strains upon the parts. In the present case the shaft is
journalled at one end in a bearing in a casing, which may be supported in a sub-
stantially annular frame secured in any suitable manner to a base or support the
opposite end of the shaft being supported in a bearing in a standard rising from
the base. The movement of the shaft may be transmitted by means of a pulley
to any suitable driven mechanism. In the construction the casing is so made
as to form between it and the frame an annular space or fluid-chest into which
the fluid, which ordinarily will be steam, may be delivered through a proper
supply-pipe. From this fluid-chest the motive-fluid may be delivered to the
turbine-wheel and the flow of the steam or other motive agent properly regulated.
As before stated the driven member or turbine-wheel of the motor is of novel
construction and is intended to be so formed as to utilize the force of the expand-
ing-fluid to the best advantage. Here the wheel, which will preferably be made
of a plurality of parts, has a circuit of fluid-receiving chambers in its web. Each
of these fluid-receiving chambers preferably intersects the periphery of the web
of the wheel and is disposed transversely and obliquely to the plane of rotation
of said wheel, the receiving end of said chamber being in this case at one side of
the wheel, and the discharge end of said chamber being practically in the plane
passing through the center of the wheel.
The forward and rearward walls of each chamber constitute the walls of the
buckets of the wheels and form partitions or blades between the buckets and
against which blades the fluid may exert its force. In the construction each
chamber is not only disposed at an inclination to the plane of rotation of the
turbine-wheel but is also angular in cross-section and tapers toward the center
of the wheel, in order to prevent premature undue expansion of the motive-fluid.
By making the receiving-chambers angular in cross-section a wide face is
presented squarely to the action of the jet of fluid, and an impulse of maximum
force is received by the wheel on the impact of the jet against such plane face.
The fluid-discharging chambers of the wheel are dissimilar in construction,
shape, and position to the fluid-receiving chambers. The principal feature of
difference is that the receiving end of the fluid-discharging chamber is of greater
area than the discharge end of the fluid-receiving chamber, and as the discharging
chamber opens into and communicates directly with the receiving-chamber a
shoulder is formed in the corresponding transverse partition at a point between
the receiving and discharging chambers. The object of this is, as before stated,
to permit the steam or other fluid to expand quickly in transverse direction as
it emerges from the receiving fluid-chamber and thus to utilize a large percentage
of that portion of the force of the fluid which is expanded as transverse pressure,
the result being that when fluid expands suddenly at this point in the manner

page_text: described it will have a reacting point to act against immediately on entering
the fluid-discharging chamber, and the force of the fluid so re-acting will be
effective to impart an additional impulse to the wheel in the direction in which
it is turned. This force, due to the transverse expansion of the steam or other
fluid, is of course augmented by the force due to the impact of the jet against
the forward wall of the fluid-discharging chamber, this latter force being derived
of course from the velocity, or energy in longitudinal direction, of the escaping
jet or stream.
Another factor which tends to increase the efficiency of the motor and to
accelerate the rotation of the turbine-wheel is the gradual expansion of the fluid
during this passage through the discharging-chamber and after its sudden expan-
sion immediately on entering such chamber, this subsequent gradual expansion
being due to the fact that in the preferred construction such fluid-discharging
chambers will gradually widen toward their discharge ends, and hence by the
time that the fluid is discharged or exhausted from the wheel a very much larger
percentage of its energy will have been employed effectively than in turbines as
ordinarily constructed.
It will be noticed that the efficiency of the motive-fluid as a wheel-propelling
medium is very greatly increased by reason of the positions of the fluid-receiving
and fluid-discharging chambers relative to each other, each discharging-chamber
being in this case disposed at such an angle to the corresponding receiving-
chamber as to form therewith a substantially V-shaped passage the walls of
which facilitate the reaction of the fluid against the partitions or blades of the
wheel to assist in driving the latter forward.
In the preferred construction the wheel is made in sections in such a manner
that any part can be readily replaced without putting in a whole new wheel. In
this case the wheel is made of three main parts two of which are separate and
connected to form the web and the hub of the wheel, while the third part is a
rim encircling the web portions of the wheel and preferably shrunk thereon to
bind the web portions firmly together. This rim will usually be a circular one
and will form here the outer ends of all of the fluid-chambers or buckets of the
wheel; but said rim will not ordinarily be of the same width as the two connected
portions, but, instead, will overlap only a portion of the web member in which
the Huid-discharging chambers are formed, this construction permitting the
spent fluid to escape freely both lengthwise of the discharging-chambers and
radially of the wheel. One of these web portions contains the fluid-receiving
chambers, while the other has formed therein the fluid-discharging chambers.
Both the fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging chambers of the wheel will prefer-
ably intersect the peripheries of said web members; and hence it will be apparent
that said chambers may be readily and rapidly cut in the peripheral edges of the
respective web portions and properly spaced, the several operations necessary to
form these parts being performed most expeditiously by automatic or semi-
automatic machinery. Of course one member should contain only the fluid-
receiving chambers and the other should contain only the fluid-discharging
members; and hence, although the two sets of chambers are entirely dissimilar
in size and location with respect to the plane of the wheel, the wheel itself may
be constructed at a very low cost by cutting the fluid-chambers entirely through
the peripheral portions of the webs from side to side of the latter, and then put-
ting the two parts together and properly connecting them afterward, a suitable
rim, also of simple construction, being shrunk around them. Thus a turbine-
wheel having fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging chambers of peculiar shape
and located in a peculiar manner relatively to one another, which chambers could
only be formed ordinarily with great difficulty and at heavy expense, can be
readily and economically so made and shaped by simply forming the wheel in
several parts.
For the purpose of regulating, the flow of the steam or other fluid to the
turbine-wheel I may make use of suitable-fluid-controlling means, such as an

page_text: oscillatory cut-off valve, which may be an annular valve substantially filling the
space within the fluid-chest; and this valve will usually be a hollow one, the
annular space of which will be in connection with the main supply-pipe through
an elongated opening, which registers with the opening in said supply-pipe in
all positions of the valve. This valve is intended to be oscillatory between two
extreme positions for the purpose of controlling the supply of fluid or steam to
the turbine-wheel; and while this supply may be regulated in many different
ways I prefer to employ a controlling-valve having a plurality or circuit of
supply-ports open at all times to the supply side of the annular space in the
valve, but some of which at times will be closed to communication with the
turbine-wheel at the delivery side of the valve in accordance with the position
of the latter. In the present case I prefer to make use of two sets of supply-
ports, the former of which contains six ports and the latter three ports, the con-
struction and organization of the parts being such that the valve may be turned
to either one of two extreme positions in one of which the ports of one set will
co-operate with supply-passages in the casing, while in the other position of the
valve the ports of the other set will co-operate with such supply-passages.
The supply-passages are not only disposed obliquely to the plane of rotation
of the wheel, but also at a more acute angle thereto than are the fluid-receiving
chambers; and in addition said supply-passages are disposed tangentially to the
wheel in order to apply the force to the wheels at the points of maximum effi-
ciency or leverage and at the same time permit the wheel, the casing containing
the supply-passages, and the valve containing the ports to be organized substan-
tially as described and prevent leakage of the stean or other fluid and hence loss
of power.
It will be apparent, of course, that the receiving ends of the supply-passages
should be disposed in positions corresponding to those of some of the supply-
ports, and preferably they will be equidistant from one another and will corre-
spond in positions to the positions of the ports, while the ports may register with
alternating supply-passages when the valve is properly turned, at which time
communication from the supply-pipe to the intermediate supply-passages will be
prevented. Thus the steam or other fluid may be supplied to the turbine-wheel
either through all of the supply-passages or through only half of them to reduce
the speed of rotation of the wheel in a manner which will be apparent.
The cut-off valve may be operated in any desired manner, but I prefer to control
it automatically by means of a governor carried by a suitable portion of the
driving mechanism, as by the shaft, and this governor may be of any suitable
type. Said valve may have a pin, which in this case extends through an elongated
slot in one side of the frame and may be connected at its outer end with a link
suitably connected by the governor, it being in this case connected thereto by
means of a rod.
If, now, the turbine-wheel is running too fast, the governor will shift the valve
so as to open communication between the source of supply and three of the supply
passages, whereas when the motor is slowed down and is running under a supply
from only three such passages the valve may be shifted automatically to open
communication to all six of the passages and increase the speed of the wheel.
In order to prevent undue strains upon the several co-operative parts, I mount
the turbine-wheel so that it may be capable of movement transverse to the shaft,
and in the preferred construction said wheel will be supported by springs held
on the shaft and having their opposite ends in juxtaposition with the wheel so
that substantially the full length of each spring will be within the ends of the
wheel-hub and may serve to support the wheel.
In the construction the wheel has a hub formed in two parts, in this case
these two hubs being integral with the respective web portions, and in the ends
of this hub I may form recesses with the walls of which may engage lugs or
tongues formed on collars secured in any suitable manner to the shaft, as
described. The hub is mounted loosely on the shaft, and in this portion of the

page_text: shaft and between the collars may be formed longitudinal recesses into which
may fit suitable springs, such as the flat springs, the ends of which may rest
against the shaft of the wheel and the central portions of which may engage
the walls of the bore of the hub substantially centrally thereof. In this case
the springs fit at their ends into recesses in the collars and are so shaped and
curved that pressure on the wheel in one direction will be taken up properly by
the springs on that side, while the spring or springs on the other side will be
relieved. Hence the spring is free to yield transversely to the shaft according
to the direction of the pull on the wheel, and the pressure exerted will be sub-
stantially evenly distributed at opposite ends of the wheel to maintain the latter
in its proper plane of rotation, this construction dispensing with the use of a long
flexible shaft as heretofore used in other motors. Thus, undue strains on the
shaft are obviated, and the wheel is enabled to run uniformly at a very high
rate of speed.
Steam or other fluid as it issues from the discharge-chambers may pass into
a hood secured to the base and having a large exhaust-opening.
In order to reduce the friction between the cut-off valve and its support, I
prefer to interpose a ball-bearing between the inner face of the frame and the
outer face of said valve, these balls being adjustable in a ball-race in the outer
face of the valve by screws.
Dated 27th day of Novomalian 1800
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Turbine-motors.
I, NILS NILSSON, of No. 20, Clinton Street, Brooklyn, County of Kings, and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
-
This invention relates to improvements in turbine-motors; and it has for its
main object the provision of an improved motor of this type in which the force
or energy of an expansible fluid under pressure may be used to better advantage
and with a higher degree of efficiency than has been the case heretofore to drive
a turbine-wheel.
In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to employ, in connection with a
turbine-wheel having blades or buckets against which the motive-fluid will be
directed, suitable fluid-supplying means embodying preferably a plurality of
passages of such lengths and cross-section as to facilitate the transformation of a
body of gaseous fluid under high pressure in a jet or stream of relatively small
cross-section, in which most of the pressure of the fluid is exerted lengthwise of
the jet as velocity, and comparatively little pressure is exerted transversely.
These jets or streams of fluid transformed into moving bodies of fluid of high
velocity and relatively low transverse pressure, may be impelled against the
faces of the blades or buckets of the turbine-wheel in such a manner that sub-
stantially all of the force or energy of each jet will be transmitted to a driven
member, preferably approximately perpendicular to the path of the moving
stream, in order to utilize to the best advantage the longitudinal energy or
pressure of the jet.
directed against one
In the preferred construction each jet of fluid will be
wall of a fluid-receiving chamber in a turbine-wheel of

page_text: proper construction, and the receiving end of this fluid-receiving chamber should
be as close as possible to the discharge end of the passage through which the jet
is delivered to the turbine. The cross-sectional area of the fluid-receiving chamber
co-operating with any such passage should be approximately that of the discharge
end of such passage for the purpose of conserving that portion of the energy of
the jet or stream which is exhibited as transverse pressure and which when the fluid
is further expanded may be capable of doing further effective work as a wheel-pro-
pelling medium. Hence in the construction shown the cross-sectional areas of the
receiving ends of the several fluid-chambers of the turbine-wheel, though some-
what greater than the corresponding areas of the discharge ends of the fluid-
passages through which the jets are delivered, are yet approximately the same;
and such chambers may be advantageously so formed as to taper toward their
discharge ends and thus conserve such transverse energy of the jet or stream until
the fluid of the stream shall have reached a point where such fluid can be expanded
effectively for the purpose of imparting an additional impulse to the wheel for
rotating the latter. This expansion of the fluid of the jet is effected at the
receiving end of a fluid-discharging chamber opening into a fluid-receiving
chamber and having a receiving end of greater cross-sectional area than that of
the discharge end of such receiving-chamber. Hence it will be apparent that
by reason of this construction the fluid will expand suddenly when it reaches
the receiving end of the discharge-chamber and will react upon the walls of the
latter, the energy exerted by such reaction serving as a means for imparting an
additional impulse to the wheel in the direction of its rotation for accelerating
the speed of movement of the latter.
It will be evident, therefore, that one of the main features of this invention
is the employment of a turbine-wheel having fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging
chambers in which the receiving end of each discharge-chamber is of greater area
than the discharge end of the corresponding fluid-receiving-chamber into which
such discharge-chamber opens.
It will be seen, moreover, that in the preferred construction not only is each
discharge-chamber dissimilar to the receiving-chamber in point of size, but that
such discharge-chamber is also inclined at a different angle to the plane of rota-
tion of the turbine-wheel, the best construction being that in which the forward
walls of each co-operating pair of fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging chambers
form a V-shaped surface. The object of this is of course to utilize the force or
energy of the fluid to the best advantage, both as a jet or stream exerting a direct
pressure against the forward wall of the fluid-discharging chamber and as an
expanding-fluid exerting, by reaction, due to transverse expansion, an additional
force on the forward face or wall of the fluid-discharging chamber to accelerate
the rotation of the wheel. Owing to the oblique disposition of the discharge-
chamber relative to the plane of rotation of the wheel and to the fluid-receiving
chamber coacting therewith, substantially all of the energy of the jet exerted in
longitudinal direction, and also that exerted transversely on the expansion of the
jet, will be utilized either directly or by reaction before the fluid escapes from
the discharge end of the fluid-discharging chamber and is permitted to pass out
through a suitable exhaust.
It will be noted, moreover, that not only does each fluid-receiving chamber
taper toward its discharge end, but that each fluid-discharging chamber gradually
widens towards its discharge end, the walls thereof diverging in order to permit
a continuous and gradual expansion after the first sudden expansion of the fluid
on entering the discharge-chamber, this gradual expansion assuring the utilization
of nearly all of the energy which may be exhibited as transverse pressure.
While, as has been stated, the forward face of each fluid-receiving chamber is
preferably disposed obliquely to the plane of rotation of the wheel, and while
the supply-passages by means of which the fluid is delivered to the receiving-
chambers of the wheel are also oblique to such plane of rotation, yet said passages
and chambers have different degrees of obliquity, the passages being inclined at

page_text: a more acute angle to the plane of rotation than said chambers; and these supply-
passages will also be disposed tangentially to the path of movement of the
wheel.
As it is desirable to provide some means for varying the supply of fluid to the
wheel to permit the latter to be run at a high or at a considerably lower rate of
speed, I deem it important to provide, in connection with the fluid-supplying
means, suitable fluid-controlling means for regulating the flow of fluid 'delivered
to the rotary driven member or wheel proper. In this case the fluid-controlling
means which I prefer to employ will be operative for opening or closing com-
munication between the fluid-supplying means and some or all of the receiving-
chambers of the wheel; and usually a valve, preferably oscillatory, shiftable
between two extreme positions and having a plurality of ports adapted to open
or close such communication in accordance with the position of the valve, will
be employed for this purpose. Here the valve used has two dissimilar sets of
supply-ports one of which sets will-co-operate at one time, while another set will
co-operate at another time, with more or less of such passages, the two sets
selected alternately, the one to turn on the fluid through all of the supply-
passages and the other to turn on the fluid through only a portion of such
passages.
When the motor is run at too high a rate of speed, the rate of rotation of the
driven member or wheel should be reduced, and usually this will be accomplished
by means of an automatic governor controlled by the driven member and governing
the operation of the fluid-controlling means or cut-off-valve. In this case when
the wheel is running at high speed the governor will shift the valve to a position
where some only of the fluid-passages will communicate with the fluid-supply,
and here such supply will be reduced by one-half by this shifting of the valve.
Of course it will be evident that during such shifting movement the supply from
all of the open ports will be reduced gradually up to the point of cut-off, and
that the supply will be turned on gradually to the lesser number of ports by the
movement of the valve to its other extreme position.
Other important features of this invention, which need not be more fully
referred to at this point, but which will be described in detail hereafter, relate
to the construction of the turbine-wheel and to the manner in which it is mounted
to yield transversely to the shaft in order to prevent undue strain on the latter
in starting under a heavy load or at an increased rate of speed.
In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1
is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a turbine-motor embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the same with parts removed in order to
illustrate the construction more clearly. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of
the same, the section being taken in line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional end
elevation of the same, the section being taken in line 44, Fig. 1 and showing
the cut-off-valve in one position. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a portion of the
same, illustrating said cut-off-valve in a different position. Fig. 6 is a transverse
section of the motor, the section being taken in line 6-6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an
enlarged sectional plan of a portion of the mechanism, illustrating in detail the
manner in which fluid is delivered from the source of supply to the turbine, the
section being taken in line 7-, Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section
of a portion of the motor, illustrating the manner in which the wheel is mounted
on its shaft; and Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the same, the section being
taken in line 9-9, Fig. 8.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings..
My improved turbine-motor embodies a turbine-wheel, such as A, which may
be mounted yieldingly on a shaft, such as B, so as to be capable of movement
transverse to the shaft to prevent excessive strains upon the parts. In the present
case the shaft B is journaled at one end in a bearing C in a casing C, which may
be supported in a substantially annular frame C2, secured in any suitable manner
to a base or support, such as D, the opposite end of the shaft B being supported

page_text: The
in a bearing in a standard, such as D¹, rising from the base D.
movment of the shaft B may be transmitted by means of a pulley E to
any suitable driven mechanism. In the construction shown the casing C is
so made as to form between it and the frame C an annular space or fluid-chest
into which the fluid, which ordinarily will be steam, may be delivered through a
proper supply-pipe, such as G. From this fluid-chest the motive-fluid may be
delivered to the turbine-wheel and the flow of the steam or other motive agent
properly regulated.
As before stated the driven member or turbine-wheel of the motor is of novel
construction and is intended to be so formed as to utilize the force of the expand-
ing-fluid to the best advantage. Here the wheel, which is designated in a general
way by A, and which will preferably be made of a plurality of parts, has a
circuit of fluid-receiving chambers in its web A', these chambers being indicated
by A3. Each of these fluid-receiving chambers preferably intersects the periphery
of the web of the wheel, and is disposed transversely and obliquely to the plane
of rotation of said wheel, the receiving end of said chamber being in this case
at one side of the wheel, and the discharge end of said chamber being practically
in the plane passing through the center of the wheel.
The forward and rearward walls of each member A2 constitute the walls of
the buckets of the wheels and form partitions or blades between the buckets and
against which blades the fluid may exert its force. In the construction shown
each chamber is not only disposed at an inclination to the plane of rotation of
the turbine-wheel but is also angular in cross-section and tapers toward the
center of the wheel, in order to prevent premature undue expansion of the motive-
fluid. By making the receiving-chambers angular in cross-section, substantially
as shown, a wide face is presented squarely to the action of the jet of fluid, and
an impulse of maximum force is received by the wheel on the impact of the jet
against such plane face.
The fluid-discharging chambers of the wheel are indicated herein by A³, and
these chambers are dissimilar in construction, shape, and position to those shown
at A. The principal feature of difference is that the receiving end of the fluid-
discharging chamber is of greater area than the discharge end of the fluid-
receiving chamber, and as the discharging-chamber opens into and communicates
directly with the receiving-chamber a shoulder is formed in the corresponding
transverse partition A at a point between the receiving and discharging chambers.
The object of this is, as before stated, to permit the steam or other fluid to expand
quickly in transverse direction as it emerges from the receiving fluid-chamber
and thus to utilize a large percentage of that portion of the force of the fluid
which is expanded as transverse pressure, the result being that when fluid expands
suddenly at this point in the manner described it will have a reacting point to
act against immediately on entering the fluid-discharging chamber, and the force
of the fluid so reacting will be effective to impart an additional impulse to the
wheel in the direction in which it is turned, as indicated by the arrow a¹. This
force, due to the transverse expansion of the steam or other fluid, is, of course
augmented by the force due to the impact of the jet against the forward wall of
the fluid-discharging chamber. this latter force being derived of course from the
velocity, or energy in longitudinal direction, of the escaping jet or stream.
Another factor which tends to increase the efficiency of the motor and to
accelerate the rotation of the turbine-wheel is the gradual expansion of the fluid
during this passage through the discharging-chamber and after its sudden expan-
sion immediately on entering such chamber, this subsequent gradual expansion
being due to the fact that in the preferred construction such fluid-discharging
chambers will gradually widen toward their discharge ends, and hence by the
time that the fluid is discharged or exhausted from the wheel a very much larger
percentage of its energy will have been employed effectively than in turbines as
ordinarily constructed."
It will be noticed that the efficiency of the motive-fluid as a wheel-propelling

page_text: medium is very greatly increased by reason of the positions of the fluid-receiving
and fluid-discharging chambers relative to each other, each discharging chamber
being in this case disposed at such an angle to the corresponding receiving-
chamber as to form therewith a substantially V-shaped passage, the walls of
which facilitate the reaction of the fluid against the partitions or blades of the
wheel to assist in driving the latter forward.
In the preferred construction the wheel A is made in sections in such a manner
that any part can be readily replaced without putting in a whole new wheel. In
this case the wheel is made of three main parts, two of which are separate and
connected to form the web and the hub of the wheel, while the third part is a
rim encircling the web portions of the wheel and preferably shrunk thereon to
bind the web portions firmly together. This rim, which is indicated by r, will
usually be a circular one and will form here the outer ends of all of the fluid-
chambers or buckets of the wheel; but said rim will not ordinarily be of the
same width as the two connected portions, but, instead, will overlap only a portion
of the web member in which the fluid-discharging chambers are formed, this
construction permitting the spent fluid to escape freely both lengthwise of the
discharging-chambers and radially of the wheel.
One of these web portions is indicated herein by w and contains the fluid-
receiving chambers, while the other is indicated by w¹ and has formed therein
the fluid-discharging chambers. Both the fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging
chambers of the wheel will preferably intersect the peripheries of said web
members; and hence it will be apparent that said chambers may be readily and
rapidly cut in the peripheral edges of the respective web portions and properly
spaced, the several operations necessary to form these parts being performed most
expeditiously by automatic or semi-automatic machinery. Of course one member
should contain only the fluid-receiving chambers and the other should contain
only the fluid-discharging chambers; and hence, although the two sets of chambers
are entirely dissimilar in size and location with respect to the plane of the wheel,
the wheel itself may be constructed at a very low cost by cutting the fluid-
chambers entirely through the peripheral portions of the webs from side to side
of the latter, and. then putting the two parts together and properly connecting
them afterward, a suitable rim r, also of simple construction, being shrunk around
them. Thus a turbine-wheel having fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging
chambers of peculiar shape and located in a peculiar manner relatively to one
another, which chambers could only be formed ordinarily with great difficulty
and at heavy expense, can be readily and economically so made and shaped by
simply forming the wheel in several parts.
For the purpose of regulating the flow of the steam or other fluid to the
turbine-wheel I may make use of suitable fluid-controlling means, such as an
oscillatory cut-off-valve F, which may be an annular valve substantially filling
the space within the fluid-chest C³; and this valve will usually be a hollow one.
the annular space of which will be in connection with the main supply-pipe G
through an elongated opening F3, which registers with the opening in said supply-
pipe in all positions of the valve. This valve is intended to be oscillatory
between two extreme positions for the purpose of controlling the supply of fluid
or steam to the turbine-wheel; and while this, supply may be regulated in many
different ways I prefer to employ a controlling-valve, such as F, having a plurality
or circuit of supply-ports open at all times to the supply side of the annular
space in the valve, but some of which at times will be closed to communication
with the turbine-wheel at the delivery side of the valve in accordance with the
position of the latter. In the present case I prefer to make use of two sets of
supply-ports, such as b and c, the former of which contains six ports and the
latter three ports, the construction and the organization of the parts being such
that the valve F may be turned to either one of two extreme positions in one of
which the ports of one set will co-operate with supply-passages a in the casing C,

page_text: while in the other position of the valve the other set of ports will co-operate with
such supply-passages.
The supply-passages a are not only disposed obliquely to the plane of rotation
of the wheel A, but also at a more acute angle thereto than are the fluid-receiving
chambers A2; and in addition said supply-passages are disposed tangentially to
the wheel in order to apply the force to the wheels at the points of maximum
efficiency or leverage and at the same time permit the wheel, the casing C, con-
taining the supply-passages, and the valve containing the ports b and c to be
organized substantially as shown in Fig. 7, and prevent leakage of the steam or
other fluid and hence loss of power.
It will be apparent, of course, that the receiving ends of the supply-passages a
should be disposed in positions corresponding to those of some of the supply-
ports F, and preferably they will be equidistant from one another and will corre-
spond in positions to the positions of the ports b, while the ports e may register
with alternating supply-passages when the valve is properly turned, at which time
communication from the supply-pipe to the intermediate supply-passages a will
be prevented. Thus the steam or other fluid may be supplied to the turbine-
wheel either through all of the supply-passages a or through only half of them to
reduce the speed of rotation of the wheel in a manner which will be apparent by
referring to Figs. 4 and 5.
The cut-off-valve F may be operated in any desired manner, but I prefer to
control it automatically by means of a governor g, carried by a suitable portion
of the driving mechanism, as by the shaft B; and this governor may be of any
suitable type, such, for example, as that shown herein. Said valve may have a
pin H, which in this case extends through an elongated slot in one side of
the frame C2 and may be connected at its outer end with a link, such as H¹, suit-
ably connected to the governor, it being in this case connected thereto by means
of a rod H².
If, now, the turbine-wheel is running too fast, the governor will shift the valve
so as to open communication between the source of supply and three of the supply-
passages a, whereas when the motor is slowed down and is running under a supply
from only three such passages the valve may be shifted automatically to open
communication to all six of the passages and increase the speed of the wheel.
In order to prevent undue strains upon the several co-operative parts, I mount
the turbine-wheel A so that it may be capable of movement transverse to the
shaft B, and in the preferred construction said wheel will be supported by springs
held on the shaft and having their opposite ends in juxtaposition with the wheel,
so that substantially the full length of each spring will lie within the ends of
the wheel hub and may serve to support the wheel. In the construction shown
the wheel A has a hub A5, formed in two parts-in this case these two hubs
being integral with the respective web portions wand w; and in the ends of this
hub I may form recesses, such as A, with the walls of which may engage lugs
or tongues, such as I', formed on collars, such as I, secured in any suitable manner,
as by pins I2, to the shaft B, as shown in Figs. 1 and S.
The hub A is mounted loosely on the shaft B, and in this portion of the
shaft and between the collars I may be formed longitudinal recesses into which
may fit suitable springs, such as the flat springs, the ends of which may rest
against the shaft of the wheel and the central portions of which may engage the
walls of the bore of the hub A5 substantially centrally thereof. In this case the
springs fit at their ends into recesses in the collars I and are so shaped and
curved that pressure on the wheel in one direction will be taken up properly by
the springs on that side, while the spring or springs on the other side will be
relieved. Hence the spring is free to yield transversely to the shaft according
to the direction of the pull of the wheel, and the pressure exerted will be sub-
stantially evenly distributed at opposite ends of the wheel to maintain the latter
in its proper plane of rotation, this construction dispensing with the use of a

page_text: .
long flexible shaft as heretofore used in other motors. Thus undue strains on
the shaft B are obviated, and the wheel A is enabled to run uniformly at a very
high rate of speed.
Steam or other fluid as it issues from the discharge-chambers A³ may pass into
a hood, such as K, secured to the base D and having a large exhaust-opening,
as K
In order to reduce the friction between the cut-off-valve F and its support, I
prefer to interpose a ball-bearing between the inner face of the frame C and the
outer face of said valve, these balls being indicated by L and being adjustable in
a bail-race in the outer face of the valve by screws L¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. A turbine-wheel having fluid-receiving chambers, and also having fluid-
discharging chambers opening, respectively, into the fluid-receiving chambers
and each of greater area at its receiving end than the discharge end of the corre-
sponding fluid-receiving chamber.
2. A turbine-wheel having fluid-receiving chambers disposed transversely to
its plane of rotation, and also having fluid-discharging chambers opening, respec-
tively, into the fluid-receiving chambers and each of greater area at its receiving
end than the discharge end of the corresponding fluid-receiving chamber.
3. In a turbine-motor, the combination, with a turbine-wheel having fluid-
receiving chambers disposed transversely to its plane of rotation, and also having
fluid-discharging chambers opening, respectively, into the fluid-receiving chambers
and each of greater area at its receiving end than the discharge end of the corre-
sponding fluid-receiving chamber, of fluid-suppling means having supply-passages
opening into said fluid-receiving chambers and disposed obliquely to the plane of
rotation of the wheel.
4. In a turbine-motor, the combination, with a turbine-wheel having fluid-
receiving chambers disposed transversely to its plane of rotation, and also having
fluid-discharging chambers opening, respectively, into the fluid-receiving chambers
and each of greater area at its receiving end than the discharge end of the corre-
sponding fluid-receiving chamber, of fluid-supplying means having supply-passages
opening into said fluid-receiving chambers, and fluid-controlling means operative
for opening or closing a predetermined number of said supply-passages.
5. In a turbine-motor, the combination, with a turbine-wheel having fluid-
receiving and fluid-discharging chambers, of fluid-supplying means; fluid-con-
trolling means having a plurality of supply-ports in position to open or close
communication between the fluid-supplying means and some or all of the fluid-
receiving chambers: and a governor controlled by said turbine-wheel and govern-
ing the operation of said fluid-controlling means.
6. A turbine-wheel embodying two connected wheel sections having dissimilar
registering fluid-receiving and fluid-discharging chambers, respectively.
7. In a turbine-motor, the combination with a turbine-wheel having fluid-
receiving and fluid-discharging chambers, of fluid-supplying means, and a fluid-
controlling valve having two dissimilar sets of supply-ports in position to co-
operate alternatively with the fluid-supplying means to open or close communi-
cation from all of the supply-ports of either set simultaneously to some or all of
the fluid-receiving chambers.
Doted this 2nd day of L 1000
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agent for the Applicant.