Certain Improvements applicable to Locomotive Engines, Tenders, and Carriages to be used on Railways, which Improvements were also applicable to other Useful Purposes
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
BUTLER ROWLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Surgeon, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, did give
and grant unto me certain Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the
Nineteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven,
for my Invention of" Certain Improvements applicable to Locomotive Engines,
Tenders, and Carriages to be used on Railways, which Improvements were
also applicable to other Useful Purposes," a Specification of which said im-
provements was duly enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery:
And whereas Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by certain
other 'Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edmund Butler Rowley, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Edmund Butler Rowley, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edmund; Butler Rowley, my. exors,
adñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years thérein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her said - Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED STEAM

page_text: ENGINE APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND STATIONARY PURPOSES;" in which
said last recited Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Edmund
Butler Rowley, should cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's- High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part last recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of the said proviso, and in compliance
therewith, I, the said Edmund Butler Rowley, do hereby declare that part
of the improvements applicable to locomotive engines, tenders, and carriages,
and other useful purposes, for which the first before recited Letters Patent were
granted, consisted of an improved rotary steam engine, described in my said
Specification as follows, references being made to certain Drawings, duplicates
of so much of which as are necessary to the understanding of the said Specifi-
cation, are hereunto annexed, and marked No. I., that is to say:-
The rotary engine "is composed of an outer ring or cylinder, and of two
"side plates a, a, which are formed exactly similar in every respect, and the
"whole is bolted together by the flanges with which they are provided. In
the interior of each of these plates or cylinder sides there are two grooves or
"races formed as at b, b, and c, c. The outer groove b is perfectly circular and
"concentric, and the inner groove c is partly circular and partly an irregular
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curve, as represented. There is a circular apparatus d, d, d, formed with a
"rim and spokes, or arms, similar to a wheel (or the same may be formed in
"one piece, but having two or more steam-tight chambers e, e, formed in it
for the purpose of receiving the pistons f, f, and allowing the same to slide
in and out). The whole of the apparatus is keyed firmly upon the central
shaft which revolves in proper bearings, and passes through the side
plates a, a. The outer rim d, d, d, of this revolving wheel fits exactly as a steam-
tight joint into the circular grooves or races b, b, and thus forms one side or
"wall of the annular steam chamber h, h; and guide pins or rollers i, i, upon
"each side of the pistons f. f (see Figure 6), travel in the curved grooves or
races c, c. Thus it will be seen that, as the expansive force of steam intro-
duced through the inlet pipe j exerts itself against the pistons, it will drive:
"round the wheel d, d; and as the guide pins or rollers i, i, upon the pistons.
travel in the curved grooves c, c, the pistons will be alternately drawn
"towards the centre to enable them to pass the steam stop or abutment k, k,
"and projected again into the steam chamber to meet the entrance of the
After the steam has exerted its force upon the pistons it will escape
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by the exit pipe l. In order to assist the parallel motion of the piston, the
guide pins or rollers i, i, also run in parallel grooves or mortices m, m, in
the piston chamber, and each piston is also furnished with a guide rod n
passing through the main central shaft q."
Now I hereby declare that since the date of my said first Letters Patent,
and since my herein-before recited Specification of the rotary steam engine,
which formed part of the improvements for which the said Letters Patent were
granted, I have invented certain improvements upon and additions to the said
rotary steam engine, and that the " Improved Steam Engine, applicable to
Locomotive, Marine, and Stationary Purposes," for which the last herein-before
recited Letters Patent were granted, consists of the said rotary steam engine
as so improved and added to; and I declare that the nature of the said In-
vention of an Improved Steam Engine, applicable to Locomotive, Marine, and
Stationary Purposes, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully set forth in the following new and complete description thereof, and in the
illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed, marked Number II., similar letters of
reference referring to similar parts in each of the Figures of the said Drawings,
that is to say:-
My improved steam engine consists of a circular case, with two side pieces
or plates, exactly similar to each other, within which case revolves a piston
wheel with alternately projecting and receding pistons.
Figure 1 of Sheet No. II. of the Drawings annexed, is a separate view of
one of the two side pieces or plates. On the inner face is an endless
groove A, A, the lower portion of which a, a, a, is a segment of a circle,' .
and the upper parts b, b, b, of the irregularly curved shape represented in the
Figure. B is the hole through which the driving shaft of the engine passes.
Near the circumference of the side plates are holes corresponding with other
holes in the flanges of the circular case, for the purpose of fastening the side
plates to the said case by means of bolts or screws.
Figure 2 is the circular case on to which the side plates Figure 1 are bolted,
as just described. C and D, the induction and eduction steam pipes and
passages passing through the abutment N' and N° hereafter more particularly
described. E, the pedestal upon which the engine stands.
Figure 3 is a side section of the piston wheel, and Figure 3* is a cross
section of one of the piston chambers of the said piston wheel, through the
lines c, d, of Figure 3. F, F, F, are three piston chambers, which radiate
from the nave or centre of the wheel. Z, Z, are spokes to strengthen the said
piston wheel. G, G, are deep flanges an each side of the said piston wheel,
which, with the cylinder rim H, FI, form a channel round the periphery of the

page_text: said piston wheel. The. flanges G, G, forming the sides, and the rim H the
bottom thereof, a cross section of this channel would be rectangular, as shewn
in Figure 3* G, H, G. In the piston chambers F are lodged the pistons I, I,
which are made to work steam-tight by means of a metallic packing, consist-
ing of two triangular or wedge-shaped pieces of metal acted upon by springs,
as shewn in the Figures at V, W... For the better support of the pistons, I, I,
when protruded from their chambers F; they are made to run into grooves M, M,
in the sides of the channel G, G. Each pistón I is provided with guide pins J
on each side, which guide pins project through the slots 0, 0, 0, in the sides
of the piston chambers, and take into the endless irregular curved grooves A, A,
in the side plates of the engine, whilst the guide pins of the pistons, traverse in
the
grooves A, A. In the lower part thereof, that is to say, in the part forming a
segment of a circle, the piston will be protruded out of its chamber, and will
form a moveable abutment or division in the steam channel or chamber, while,
as the guide pin travels into the irregular curved part of the groove A, A, the
piston will be retracted into its chamber, and so pass the fixed abutments N³, N³:
Thus, supposing the engine to be in the. position indicated in Figure 5, on
steam being admitted at the induction pipe C, its force being exerted between
the fixed abutment N¹ and the piston 'I', the said piston will be. moved round
until the next in succession, I³, has been protruded out to the full extent, when
the piston I will become the motive agent, and the piston. I¹ will retire into
its chamber, as indicated by Is in the Figure; and so on with the other pistons
in succession, as long as steam continues to be admitted at C and go out at D.
The motion of the engine may be reversed by admitting the steam at D, and
allowing it to escape at C.
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Figure. 4 shews the piston wheel placed in its proper situation in the interior
of the case, Figure 2, one side plate being removed, and the groove A, A, of
the inside of the opposite side plate being shewn.
Figure 5 is a section of a complete engine, in which the construction of the
fixed abutment N³, N³, is more clearly shewn.
Figures 6 and 6" are the parts of the said abutment removed, the side
parts N and N being cast separately, and bolted or otherwise fastened on to
the case, Figure 2. A chamber or aperture is left between these parts N¹ and
No, into which the metallic packing P is introduced to make the piston wheel
revolve steam-tight against the abutment. This metallic packing consists of a
plate of metal R, concave on its inferior surface, and ground to fit the rim H
of the piston wheel; the edges of R are bevelled off to receive the like bevelled
edges of the pieces Q, Q, which, on the spring S being pressed down by the
screw T, will make R and Q, Q, to work close and steam-tight upon the

page_text: rim H and flanges G of the piston, wheel. Figure 6b is a section of the
packing P through the line X, Z, of Figure 6*.
Figure 7 is one of the pistons shewn separately. U is a block of steel cast
and ground exactly to fit in the groove A, and consisting of a minute segment
of a circle. This I have found in practice to be far superior to the ordinary
friction rollers or wheels. The guide pin J is inserted into the hole in the
block U, and the block traverses smoothly in the groove A, A. The mode of
packing the edges of the pistons is shewn at V, W, and is in the manner
before more particularly described.
Figure 8 is one of the packing rings to render the rims of the flanges of the
piston wheel steam-tight. Each ring is formed of sections of two triangular
or wedged-shaped rings, which are set into a square groove in the rim, as
shewn in Figure 3* at Y, Y, in section, and which, being pressed outwardly by
the spiral springs X, X, &c., in cavities of the said flanges, render the steam
channel or chamber steam-tight.
Figure 9 is an end elevation of an engine with driving wheels, for purposes
of driving machinery, or other purposes to which the power of steam; or water
is usually applied.
And having now fully described my said Invention of an improved steam
engine, I declare that I do not claim any of the parts herein-before described
separately or in themselves as new, or of my Invention; but that what I claim
is, the new and improved arrangement and combination of parts last herein-before
described. And I declare I consider the prominent feature of my improvement
(and that which principally distinguishes my present rotary engine from that
firstly herein-before described and recited) to be, the forming the sides of the
steam chamber or channel of the flanges of the piston wheel, as before described,
by which a better support is given to the pistons as they protrude from their
chambers, & whereby the steam chamber or channel is made easier and more
completely steam-tight. And I declare that I do not confine myself to the use
of three pistons and piston chambers as before described, but that the number
may be varied according to circumstances. And such my said Invention being,
to the best of my knowledge and belief, new, and never before used within that
part of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, I do
hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily
believe this, my said Specification, doth comply in all respects, fully and without
reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited

page_text: Letters Patent contained, wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive
right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Butler Rowley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of Sept" September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of September,
in the year of our Lord, 1839, the aforesaid Edmund Butler Rowley came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the said Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.