IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND FLUID METERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
TO PUMPS AND FLUID METERS." A communication from abroad by Willem
Hubertus Jacobs and Andreas Jacobus Jacobs, both of Haarlem, Holland,
Engineers.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th May 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND FLUID METERS." A communi-
cation from abroad by Willem Hubertus Jacobs and Andreas Jacobus Jacobs, both
of Haarlem, Holland, Engineers.
This Invention relates to improvements in rotary engines adapted to be driven
by steam, compressed air, water, gas, or other fluid, which engines are applicable
for locomotive, marine, or stationary purposes. And it will be very obvious
that said improvements may be embodied in pumps and in water or other fluid
meters.
The chief objects of the said Invention are to provide an engine which will run
at a very high velocity with a minimum expenditure of fuel, and which is simple in
construction and will occupy but little space.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I secure upon the main or driving
shaft of the engine, which is supported in suitable bearings in standards attached
to or forming part of the bed-plate, and which is also supported in hubs or stuffing
boxes cast on the covers of the cylinder, an excentric piston wheel or revolving
drum which at its ends is in close contact with the said covers. The main shaft is
arranged excentrically to the bore of the cylinder, so that the said drum in its
revolution just touches or comes in contact with the lower part of the interior
surface of the bore of the said cylinder, that is to say, at the point where the said
drum and cylinder come into contact, I arrange a bar or piece of iron or other
CD 077

page_text: suitable metal, which is pressed upward by means of suitable springs firmly against
the surface of the said drum. By this means all leakage between the said cylinder
and the excentric piston wheel or revolving drum at this point is prevented.
In the aforesaid piston wheel or drum are bored two diametrically opposite holes
or apertures on a plane parallel to that of the cylinder; these apertures are circular
or approximately circular, and are designed to contain seats or pieces whose outer
surface is convex or rounded to conform to the concave surface of the said
apertures, and whose inner face is flat. These pieces extend the entire length of
the revolving drum, and are free to turn in the aforesaid apertures. Between the
flat surfaces or faces of each of the said pieces or seats I arrange a parallelopiped
piston which is accurately fitted to and adapted to move inward and outward
between the said surfaces. These pistons are also free to turn slightly with the
said seats or pieces to permit their free movement during the revolution of the
piston wheel. The ends of these pistons fit accurately between the end covers of
the cylinder, and are provided at both ends with segmental guides or controlling
pieces which constitute an important feature of this Invention. These guides are
adapted to travel or revolve in comparatively small annular grooves or recesses
formed in the covers of the cylinder and concentric with the bore of the said
cylinder. When the parts of the engine are fitted together, these grooves in the
covers ensure during the revolution of the aforesaid piston wheel or drum the
constant contact of the pistons with the interior surface of the cylinder without
the aid of springs, as ordinarily employed, whilst at the same time they obviate
excessive friction between the said pistons and cylinder, and consequently prevent
or reduce the wear and tear which ordinarily occur in engines of this class, as
heretofore constructed. Moreover, by forming the said pistons with segmental
pieces adapted to enter the aforesaid grooves and prevent excessive friction, as
above described, I am enabled to obtain with a given pressure of steam or other
actuating fluid considerably more power than was heretofore practicable.
To ensure the absolute close fitting of the pistons and the cylinder so that no
leakage may occur between the same, I arrange within a groove or recess in the
outer end of each of the said pistons a metal piece which is forced outward into
close contact with the said cylinder by suitable springs. I also arrange at the ends
of the said pistons and the revolving drum and adjacent to the end covers of the
cylinder other bars or pieces which are forced outward by springs to prevent the
escape of any of the steam or actuating fluid between the said piston and drum
ends and the said covers.
The engine is provided with a suitable inlet pipe or port for the steam or other
actuating fluid, whose entrance to the cylinder is controlled by a slide valve of
suitable construction or by an oscillating valve or other suitable means, and the
said engine is provided with an exhaust port in the usual manner.
These ports
are preferably arranged on opposite sides of the engine. When my improved
engine is to be used as a motor engine, the main shaft is provided with a fly wheel
and with a suitable driving pulley fixed upon the said shaft; the said engine shaft
is also provided with an excentric for imparting the necessary motion to the slide
valve when such a valve is used.
My improved engine is preferably provided with means to permit it to be
readily reversed, and is also provided with the necessary accessories other than
those above described in the ordinary manner, and may be provided with any
desired number of pistons adapted to move inward and outward in the aforesaid
piston wheel.
It will be readily understood that by arranging suitable mechanism to impart
rotary motion to the main shaft, the said engine may be utilized as a pump for
drawing or forcing fluids, and also that by the addition to the said engine of
suitable registering or indicating apparatus it may be utilized as a water or other
fluid meter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO PUMPS AND FLUID METERS." A communi-
cation from abroad by Willem Hubertus Jacobs and Andreas Jacobus Jacobs, both
of Haarlem, Holland, Engineers.
This Invention relates to improvements in rotary engines to be driven by steam,
compressed air, water, gas, or other fluid, which engines are applicable for loco-
motive, marine, or stationary purposes, and it will be obvious that the said
improvements may be embodied in pumps and in water or other fluid meters.
The chief object of the said Invention is to provide an engine which will run at
& very high velocity with a minimum expenditure of fuel, and which is simple in
construction and will occupy but little space.
In the accompanying Drawings the said improvements are illustrated as applied
to a motor engine. In these Drawings,―
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the said engine, and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the said engine.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the piston-wheel or revolving drum on the
line y, y, Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section representing a modified construction of my
improved engine hereinafter described, and
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the same.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
a is the foundation or bed-plate of the said engine; b is the body or casing
which comprises the cylinder and other parts, as hereinafter described, and which
may be formed of cast iron or other suitable material; c represents the main or
driving shaft supported in suitable bearings 6' in the standards 62 attached to or
forming part of the said bed-plate a. This shaft is also supported in stuffing
boxes d cast on the covers d¹ of the cylinder d, and has secured to it by means of
a key or cotter c¹ or otherwise the excentric piston wheel or revolving drum e,
which at its ends is in close contact with the said covers d'. The shaft c is
arranged excentrically to the bore of the cylinder d, so that the drum e in its
revolution is always just touching or in contact with the lower part of the interior
periphery of the said cylinder, as shewn in Figure 2. In this part of the cylinder,
that is to say, at the point of contact of the piston with the interior surface of the
said cylinder, I arrange a packing-piece f of iron or other suitable material which
is pressed upward by means of suitable springs f¹ against the surface of the said
drum, thus forming a packing whereby all leakage of steam or other fluid between
the said cylinder and the excentric piston-wheel or revolving drum at this point is
prevented.
In the aforesaid piston-wheel or drum e are formed two diametrically opposite
chambers or cavities g, whose axes are parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the
surfaces of which cavities form segments of circles. The said cavities are designed
to contain packing pieces h, which are fitted therein with a capability of turning
freely in the same. These pieces extend throughout the entire length of the
revolving drum e, their purpose being to support and guide the pistons i, which are
accurately fitted to and adapted to slide inward and outward between the interior
flat surfaces of the said packing pieces; the latter turn slightly on their axes
during the rotation of the piston-wheel to permit the pistons to adapt themselves

page_text: These
accurately to the interior periphery of the cylinder at all parts of the same.
pistons fit accurately between the end covers d of the cylinder d, and are provided
at both ends with segmental projections or pieces j. These projections are adapted
to travel or revolve in small annular grooves or recesses formed in the covers d
concentric with the bore of the cylinder d. When the parts of the engine are
fitted together, these grooves & in the covers d¹ ensure during the revolution of the
piston-wheel or drun e the constant contact of the pistons with the interior surface
of the cylinder without the aid of springs, as ordinarily employed, whilst at the
same time they obviate excessive friction between the said pistons and cylinder,
and consequently prevent or reduce the wear and tear which ordinarily occur in
engines of this class, as heretofore constructed. Moreover, by forming the said
pistons with the segmental pieces adapted to enter and work in the grooves /
without great friction, as above described, I am enabled to obtain with a given
pressure of steam or other actuating fluid considerably more power than has been
heretofore practicable.
To ensure the absolute close fitting of the pistons and the cylinder so that no
leakage may occur between the same, I arrange within a groove or recess in the
outer end of each of the said pistons the metal packing piece which is forced into
close contact with the said cylinder by the springs . I also arrange at the ends
of the said pistons and the revolving drum and adjacent to the end covers of the
cylinder, the packing pieces m which are forced outward by springs m¹ to prevent
the escape of the steam or other fluid between the said piston and drum ends and
the covers d¹.
n represents the inlet pipe or port for the steam or other fluid whose entrance to
the cylinder is controlled by a slide-valve o of suitable construction or by an
oscillating valve, as shewn in Figure 6, or by other suitable means; p is the
exhaust port. These ports are arranged on opposite sides of the engine, as shewn;
q is a fly wheel, and is the driving pulley fixed upon the shaft c; 8 is the
excentric for imparting the necessary motion to the valve.
In the modification of the said Invention, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the
Drawings, I have shewn the piston-wheel or drum e provided with only one
piston i, and instead of employing two segmental packing pieces one on each side
of the said piston i. I connect or couple the said packing pieces, as shewn at h¹,
sufficient space being left between the said pieces to permit the piston i to travel
freely inward and outward in its revolution within the cylinder d. According to
this modification I also dispense with the packing pieces m adapted to be forced
outward by means of springs m³, as above described, and provide the revolving
drum with rings e¹, e¹, one at each end of the said drum. These rings are fitted
to revolve within annular grooves in the cylinder covers d, and produce a
steam-tight joint between the drum e and the covers d' without the use of
springs, and as these rings are always in contact with the packing piece f they
prevent any upward movement of the same after the piston has passed the said
packing piece, and consequently prevent wear which would be caused by the
vibration of the piece f, providing it were allowed to spring upward and into
contact with the drum e each time the piston i passed the said piece.
It will be obvious that I may provide the piston-wheel of my improved engine
with any desired number of the sliding pistons i. Moreover, the said engine may
be provided with any suitable reversing gear, governor, and throttle valve, and
with any other accessories that may be necessary to adapt the said engine
in the most advantageous manner to any purpose for which the same is to be
employed.
It will be readily understood that by the provision of suitable means for
imparting rotary motion to the main shaft, the said engine may be utilized as a
pump for drawing or forcing fluids. Moreover, by the addition to the said engine
of suitable registering or indicating apparatus, it may be utilized as a water or
other fluid meter.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my

page_text: foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The cylinder covers or heads provided with the annular grooves l
arranged excentrically to the driving shaft in combination with the pistons ¿
sliding between the convex packing pieces in the piston-wheel, and provided
with the segmental projections or pieces j which fit and travel in the said annular
grooves, all substantially as above set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings for the purposes specified.
Second. The modification of the said Invention, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6,
wherein I provide the revolving drum e with only one piston sliding in the
packing piece h, and with ring e¹ at each end of the said drum adapted to revolve
in an annular groove in the cylinder cover or head, substantially as above set forth
and for the purposes specified.
Third. A rotary engine pump or meter consisting of the parts constructed,
combined, and operating, substantially as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)