Improved Rotary Reversible Steam Engine.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Rotary Reversible Steam Engine.
I, WILLIAM WILSON HORN, of the Firm of Horn & Son, of 151 Strand, London, in
the County of Middlesex, Patont Agent, (a communication to me from abroad by
John J. E. H. Payne, of Lipscomb, Texas, United States of America, Inventor) do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention consists essentially of an outside cylinder, having an internal capacity
which is not truly circular but is approximately of an oval diameter and with flat ends
or covers. Within this cylinder is suitably journalled upon a longitudinal axle a
rotary piston, having an outside configuration approximately the same shape as the
interior of the firstnamed outside cylinder. This said piston is of hollow construction
and has radial webs extending from the boss to the outer shell. Suitable levers are
hinged within two of the opposite recesses formed by the webs in the piston, and have
suitably secured to the extremities thereof, projecting plates which extend above the
surface of the piston and come into close contact with the inner surface of the outer
cylinder. The outer cylinder is also provided upon its inner side with levers and pro-
jecting plates similar to those aforesaid and which plates are kept extended and in contact
with the pistou by small pistons and cylinders actuated by steam pressure. Suitable
reversing valves aro arranged in such a manner as to adinit and cut off stem to the
cylinder at the proper time. As the piston revolves the various plates aforesaid will
recede into the piston and cylinder respectively in order to conform to the varying
diameter of the cylinder.
Date this 15th law of Vouch 1900
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Rotary Reversible Steam Engine.
I, WILLIAM WILSON HORN, of the Firm of Horn & Son, of 151 Strand, London,
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (a com-
munication to me from abroad, by John James Edward Henry Payne, of Lipscomb,
in the State of Texas, United States of America, Inventor) and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This my invention relates to certain improvements in rotary engines, particularly
those in which the direction of rotation may be changed at will, the object of the
invention being to produce an engine of great simplicity of construction and economy
in running, not easy to get out of order, and the parts of which can be readily removed
and replaced when worn or broken.
With these ends in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construc-
tion and combinations and arrangements of parts, to be hereinafter described, and
pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure is a cro-s-sectional view of an engine constructed in accordance with
my invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the engine with sliding abutments only on the piston,
and also showing the valve for working the engine expansively.
Figure 3 is a similar view, with sliding abutments only in the cylinder.
Figure 4 is an end view showing the expansion-valve and reversing-valve-operating
mechanism.

page_text: Figure 5 is a top plan view of one of the abutments, showing both forms of pivotal
blocks.
Figure 6 illustrates the preferred form of packing.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of same.
Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
The cylinder A, in which the rotary piston B works, may be of any desired length,
according to the amount of power required, being in the preferred construction cast
with suitable base projections on feet for attachment to a support, either in vertical
or horizontal position, and at diametrically opposite points on the cylinder are arranged
reversing valves C, preferably working in suitable cylinders 1), formed directly in
extensions of the main cylinder. These valves-C are formed with passages c c¹, passing
through the same at right angles, to permit of the simultaneous passage in opposite
directions of the live and exhaust steam, such valve in the preferred form (shown
in Figure 2) consisting of a cylindrical piece of somewhat less diameter than the
cylinder in which it works with the said passages bored through it, as just
explained, and to define the chambers communicating with the passages sliding
steam-tight packings are recessed into the cylindrical piece and kept pressed
outward against the inner surface of the cylinder by springs c', as will be readily
understood.
An entrance port or ports E is provided, opening either directly into the valve-
chamber or through a suitable cut-off valve. to be presently described, and at a
proper distance from the entrance port or ports is an exhaust port or ports E¹,
two or more in number for great speed, ports e e¹ being provided leading from
the valve-chamber into the cylinder, one or more on each side of the abutment
which separates the exhaust from the live steam. When the valve is in one position,
the port or ports on one side are in communication with the live-steam port or ports,
and the port or ports on the other side with the exhaust port or ports, and when
the valve is in reversed position to change the direction of rotation of the engine
the position of the ports is reversed and steam let in and exhausted in the
opposite direction.
In the form of engine illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 pivoted sliding abutments F
are provided in the cylinder at diametrically opposite points, which, bearing on the
piston separate the live-steam from the exhausting chambers. These abutments con-
sist of solid sliding sections, forming the division wall, and arms f¹, connected thereto
at the upper end and pivotally connected to the cylinder-casing by means of a rod f³,
held by blocks f, dovetailed into the said casing, as shown in Figure 1, the dovetail
recess being formed by the projections and the recess. These blocks f³ are
placed between each of the arms, as shown in Figure 5 and a wedge-shaped piece f
placed at the rear end for tightening them after they are in place. The abutments are
located in chambers which form part of the passage from the valve-chamber to the
cylinder, the part to the cylinder being formed directly beside the abutment, and in
order to keep the abutment pressed in at all times a small piston F', working in a
cylinder F, is connected thereto, the pressure being constantly maintained above
said piston through a port F³, communicating with the steam-passage from the
boiler.
With the construction thus far described the engine may be operated with a piston
having stationary abutments, as illustrated in Figure 3, the steam entering on one
side of the sliding abutments in the proper direction to rotate the piston in the
well-known manner.
Although the engine as thus constructed will be found to be sufficient and of
practical value, I prefer to employ pivoted sliding abutments on the piston, as illus
trated in Figures 1 and 2, the cylinder in such cases being made with inwardly-
extending portions G, which, when the piston is cylindrical, as in Figure 2. bear
against the surface of the same throughout the whole circumference, and which, when
the piston is elliptical, as in Figure 1, only comes in juxtaposition thereto at the points
where the sliding abutments may pass, abutments being in this instance also located
in the cylinder at the points of the projections.

page_text: The pivoted sliding abutments when located in the piston are essentially the
same as those heretofore described the manner of pivoting them, however, being
slightly changed as follows: Circular dovetail recesses H are formed inside of the
piston, preferably by boring at opposite points, and blocks I, having apertures in
one end, through which the rod on which the abutment's pivot passes, are provided
for fitting in such recesses, thus enabling the abutments and blocks to be slipped
out from one end of the piston when the cylinder-head is removed, thus permitting
of the ready repair or renewal of the abutments. As the cutting of the slot in the
wall of the piston might weaken the same, I preferably provide bolts K, which pass
way across the piston between the arms of the abutments and connect with the portions
of the outer wall of the piston lying between the radial arın, which might be so weakened,
thus bracing and strengthening the same, the inward movement of the abutments is
limited by the stops K' on one side of the radial arms, and steam-tight packing K
is arranged on each side of the abutment to prevent the steam from leaking in
or out of the piston past the abutments. The abutments in the piston may be held
outward by spring-pressure in the well-known manner; but I preferably connect the
interior of the piston with the live-steam port or valve-chamber by means of a
passage L, entering the piston through the drive-shaft L.
When it is desired to run the engine expansively or to cut off the supply of steam
before a complete operative movement of the piston is made, permitting the steam
already in the cylinder to rotate the piston by expansion, cut-off valves M are
employed, located in the live-steam passages and controlling the admission of steam
to the reversing-valves. These cut-off valves consist simply of cylindrical valves
having the steam-passages in them arranged to cut off at the proper moment when
rotated in unison with the piston, such rotation being communicated to them by means
of the cranks n on the ends of the valves and the crank ¹ on the drive-shaft
connected thereto by the rod N.
In order to ensure the simultaneous movement of the reversing-valves, a rod O
connects crank-arms thereon, and an operating-handle P, connected to one, serves to
operate both.
The preferred form of packing used throughout the engine is illustrated in Figures 6
and 7, wherein it will be seen that the packing itself is formed in three parts n v v².
vand v¹ constitute the wearing parts and are hevelled at the inner ends for the accom-
modation of the wedge-shaped piece ², which is held outward by steam-pressure, or
springs preferably being employed. This construction of packing insures a
perfectly steam-tight joint, the inner piece keeping the outer pieces against the
sides of the recess, and also affords a broad surface for the spring or steam to
act against to keep the packing out and in firm contact with the co-operating
surface.
An engine constructed in accordance with the foregoing description will be found
to run smoothly without undue wear or friction, being easily reversed and of great
rapidity and power. The sliding abutments in the piston, it will be noted, will, when
the engine is in operation, tend to fly outward by reason of centrifugal force, thus
dispensing, in a large measure, with the necessity of maintaining a high pressure of
steam within the piston.
The operation and necessary movement of the valves to change the direction of
rotation will now be readily understood, being as follows: Assuming that the parts
are in the position shown in Figure 1, steam will be passing through the ports E and
rotating the piston to the left, the abutments being moved inward by the surface of
the piston or cylinder, as the case may be, while passing the dead-centre or point
where the moveable abutment passes from the exhaust to the live steam side. When
now it is desired to reverse, the position of the valves is changed to the position
indicated in dotted lines, Figure 1 and stean admitted through the ports e, the
exhaust being through the ports e. If the cut-off valves be employed, the steam
passing to the piston will be cut off when the piston has completed the proper portion
of its stroke, permitting the steam within the cylinder to act expansively in the well
known manner.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a rotary engine, the combination with the rotary piston and oppositely-
arranged moveable abutments, of the oppositely-arranged reversing an l exhaust valves
having passages therein for the live and exhaust steam, and connected to work in
unison, substantially as described.
2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the rotary piston and oppositely-
arranged moveable abutments of the oppositely-arranged reversing-valves connected
to work in unison and having passages through the same at substantially right
angles for the live and exhaust steam, arranged and combined for operation substan-
tially as described.
3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the rotary piston and cylinder having
a moveable head, with recesses in said piston and cylinder, of the removable blocks
fitting in said recesses and moveable abritment pivoted in all lock substantially as
described.
4. In a rotary engine, the combination with the rotary pison, of the sliding
abutments pivoted in removable blocks dovetailed in the casing, substantially as
described.
5. In a rotary reversible engine, the combination, with the rotary piston, oppositely-
arranged, reversing-valves, and corresponding moveable abutments with steain-ports
on each side of the same, of the cylinders in communication with the valve-chambers,
the pistons working in said cylinders and connected to the abutments for keeping the
same pressed out, substantially as described.
6. In a rotary reversible engine, the combination, with the rotary piston, reversing
valve, and moveable abutment having steam-ports on each side of the same, of the
cylinder having a single port, which is in communication with the steam supply, a
piston working in said cylinder, and a link connecting said piston and moveable
abutment, whereby the abutment is held in at all times, substantially as described.
7. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder having the moveable
abutments pivoted in blocks dovetailed therein, of the rotary piston having the moveable
abutments pivoted in blocks dovetailed in the wall of the piston, substantially as
described.
8. In a rotary engine, the combination with the rotary piston and sliding abut-
ments, of the valve having the passages passing through the same at right angles and
the packing for defining the chambers with which said passages open, substantially us
described.
9. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the rotary piston and moveable
abutments, of the reversing-valves formed of the cylinders having the ports through
the same for the passage of steam, said cylinder fitting loosely within the valve-
casing, and the packing located in seats in the cylinder between the ports, whereby
chambers are formed into which the ports open, and ports for opening ommunica-
tion between said chambers and engine cylinder or exhaust, substantially as
described.
10. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the rotary piston, moveable
abutments, and diametrically-opposite reversing-valves connected for simultaneous
movement of the rotary cut-off valves, one in the supply to each reversing-valve, the
rod connecting said valves, and a crank-connection between said rod and engine-shaft,
substantially as described.
11. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the cylinder and rotary piston, of the
moveable abutments, the blocks in which they take their bearings rece-sed into the
cylinder, and the wedges for tightening said blocks, substantially as described.
Datel this 14th day at T1200