IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ebenezer William Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
November 1867.
I, EBENEZER WILLIAM HUGHES, of Queen Square, Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
AND PUMPS," to be as follows:-
Into
This Invention has for its object improvements in rotary engines and pumps.
In constructing rotary engines and pumps I form a ring, which in section is
a rectangular trough having the open side inwards or towards the centre.
Within this ring a drum is fitted, so that its periphery closes the annular
trough; the drum is mounted on an axis so as to be able to rotate. In order
that the joint between the two parts may be tight the drum has flanges on
either side overlapping the edge of the trough, in each of which a groove is
turned, and the flange overlapping it has a corresponding groove in it.
one of these grooves a round packing ring of vulcanized india-rubber is fitted,
and it is covered with a thin annular plate of steel or other metal; into the
other groove a metal ring is fixed and it projects so as to bear upon the thin
plate, and the elasticity of the india-rubber maintains a close contact between
the surfaces, or both of the grooves may contain elastic packing rings covered
as above described, and holding the metal ring freely between them. When
steam is used in the engine metallic springs are substituted for the vulcanized
india-rubber rings. The thin annular plates are roughened on the under side,.
so that they may not turn on the india-rubber packing rings. The drum has

page_text: upon
it a piston or stop which accurately fits the annular trough and closes it,
so that steam or fluid cannot pass in the trough from one side of the piston or
stop to the other. The annular trough also has two or other number of accu-
rately fitting stops in its circumference; they slide in and out to allow the
piston or stop on the drum to pass. The axis of the drum is hollow, and the
inlet passage for the water or fluid is at one end of it and the outlet at
the other. These passages are continued though an arm of the drum to the
periphery, where they open into the annular space close to the piston or stop
which the drum carries, and one on either side of it. If the steam or fluid
under pressure be supplied at the inlet it enters the annular space on one side
of the piston or stop on the drum, and its pressure acting on this side whilst
it is shut off by the sliding stop in the annular trough from acting on the
other side causes the rotation of the drum. The steam or fluid in advance of
the piston or stop on the drum escapes by the outlet passage; or conversely, if
the fluid is not under pressure, and the drum is driven, a vacuum is formed,
and the fluid is drawn in at the inlet passage and expelled at the outlet. In
order to render the piston or stop on the drum and the stops in the annular
trough water-tight I employ leather clipped to the piston or stop in such
manner that its edge comes in contact with the interior of the trough and
makes a tight joint. In a similar manner I make the joints through which
the stops slide, where steam is employed I use metallic packing..