AN IMPROVED ROTARY ENGINE AND PUMP TO BE DRIVEN BY WATER OR STEAM POWER
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Leonard Bennison, of Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY ENGINE AND PUMP TO BE DRIVEN BY WATER OR STEAM POWER."
Sealed the 23rd March 1869, and dated the 10th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Leonard Bennison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th November 1868.
I, HENRY LEONARD BENNISON, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED ROTARY ENGINE AND PUMP TO BE DRIVEN BY WATER OR STEAM POWER,"
to be as follows:-
The Invention comprises the constructing the engine with a four-way
cock for working supply and exhaust or waste, and the special con-
struction of said cock by so altering the form of the section of the
passage way of each arm in the length of the arm, and proportioning
the ways through the plug as to avoid the constriction which ordinarily

page_text: occurs in four-way cocks. With this object the form may be circular at
the extremities of the arms, and thence taper or change up to the plug
seat where the size may be diminished as presented against the cross
section of the plug, and enlarged in the direction of the side or length
of the plug which it is believed will afford the means of constructing
the cock with a plug of less diameter than heretofore. And also the
constructing the plug of the cock, so that when it is partially opened to
admit steam, water, air, &c., it will allow of a free and rapid exhaust.
The engine has an external cylinder arranged for a shaft to pass through
its ends and within it, and on the shaft carries an internal cylinder, thus
leaving an annular cylindrical space between the two cylinders, into
which the steam or water ports open, and which ports will serve for
supply and exhaust or waste, one for each (but interchangeable),
accordingly as the cock is worked to reverse the engine, as may be
desired. One large cam partly occupies annular space, and another
smaller one is arranged concentric with the shaft, the two being used
respectively for forcing into and forcing out from the inner cylinder the
sliding blades which form the necessary stops across the space. One
special feature herein being the making the larger cam with notch-
shaped ends to clear the ports, and in recessing or seating the ends into
inner surface of external cylinder. The improved rotary engine can and
is intended to be used as an air and water pump.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Leonard Bennison in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LEONARD BENNISON, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Hérself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Leonard Bennison, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Leonard Bennison, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Leonard

page_text: Bennison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make,. use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED ROTARY ENGINE AND PUMP TO BE DRIVEN BY WATER OR STEAM
POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Leonard Bennison, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scal's, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Leonard Bennison, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:-
The Invention comprises. the constructing the engine with a four-way
cock for working supply and exhaust or waste, and the special con-
struction of said cock by so altering the form of the section of the
passage way of each arm in the length of the arm, and proportioning
the ways through the plug as to avoid the constriction which ordinarily
occurs in four-way cocks. With this object the form may be circular at
the extremities of the arms, and thence taper or change up to the plug
seat, where the size may be diminished as presented against the cross
section of the plug, and enlarged in the direction of the side or length
of the plug, which it is believed will afford the means of constructing
the cock with a plug of less diameter than heretofore, and though it
may be only partially opened to admit steam, water, air, &c., will allow
of a free and rapid exhaust. The engine has an external cylinder
arranged for a shaft to pass through its ends and within it and on the
shaft carries an internal cylinder, thus leaving an annular cylindrical
space between the two cylinders, into which the steam or water ports
open, and which ports will serve for supply and exhaust or waste, one
for each (but interchangeable) accordingly as the cock is worked to
reverse the engine, as may be desired.. One large cam partly occupies
annular space, and another smaller one is arranged concentric with the
shaft, the two being used respectively for forcing into and forcing out

page_text: from the inner cylinder the sliding blades which form the necessary stops
across the space. One special feature herein being the making the
larger cam H-shaped in plan with ends so cut away to clear the ports
to prevent back pressure, and in recessing or seating the ends into inner
surface of external cylinder. The improved rotary engine can and is
intended to be used as an air and water pump.
The accompanying illustrative Drawing represents a rotary engine
constructed in accordance with the Invention.
Figures 1 and 2 are transverse and longitudinal sections respectively;
Figure 3 additional section through improved four-way cock. The
remaining Figures are detached views of certain of the parts herein-
after more particularly referred to, Figures 4 and 5 shewing one of the
pallets; Figures 6 and 7 the larger cam; Figures 8 and 9 the smaller or
inner cam;
and Figures 10 and 11 the internal cylinder by which the
motion it receives is transmitted to the driving shaft of the engine.
The improved four-way cock is seen in Figures 1 and 3 at the extremity
a in each arm; the internal form is circular, and thence, as seen in
Figure 1, it changes by a diminishing taper to or very nearly to the plug
seat or plug b, which in the said Figure appears in cross section; but in
the Figure 3, which presents the plug to view so as to show its side or
length, it will be noted that the internal form changes from a by an
increasing taper to the plug seat or plug. Figure 3* is the plug removed,
side view showing the recesses a¹, a¹, on cach side, which make the
communications between a, a, a, a, Figure 1. As placed in the Drawing
the upper and lower arms of the cock are for supply and exhaust
respectively, and the side arms for passage ways through pipes e, f,
communicating with the engine, and to be used one for supply and the
other for exhaust, but interchangeable in the use accordingly as the
engine is to be worked in one direction or the other. g is the external
cylinder forming stationary case of engine; h is driving shaft passing
through its ends; g*, g*, are the cylinder covers, and i the internal
cylinder which revolves, as herein-after explained; k (Figure 1) is
annular space or pressure chamber between the cylinders, into which the
ports open from the pipes e, f, between the extremities of the H-shaped
cam m, m, and n, n, respectively, of the larger H-shaped cam m, n, o,
the extreme ends being recessed into the inner surface of the case g, as
seen in Figure 1, and the central portion o, o, being truly fitted and
scated against the top and along the entire length of the annular space, as

page_text: seen in Figure 2. By this means the larger cam occupies a fixed position;
p is smaller cam formed at extremity of a flanged collar p*, by which it
is held to one end g* of external cylinder, and also occupies a fixed
position; q, q, are the sliding blades or pallets or pistons which lie across
the annular space when compelled to do so by the smaller cam (sec
lower pallet in Figure 1) and lie shoathed within recess formed for them
in the internal cylinder, when compelled to do so by the larger cam (see
upper pallet in the said Figure), the action of the cams ensuing on the
revolution of the said cylinder which is driven by the pallets, and these
being driven by the steam or water power employed. The inner cylinder
being so constructed by turning or otherwise that in its rotary motion
its periphery forms by its close contact with the lower side of the
H-shaped cam, and with the inner sides of the covers g*, g*, a perfectly
steam-tight joint or nearly so. The said internal cylinder is keyed on to
the shaft as at i*, and drives the shaft h. The stuffing box bearings 8, 8,
at ends of cylinders which partly support the said shaft and its further
bearing and driving pulley thereon (see Figure 2) present no features
of novelty. As herein above described the apparatus or machine is
treated as an engine for driving the shaft h, but it will readily be under-
stood that if it is to be employed as a pump then the shaft / is to be
used as the driver, the other (moving) parts being driven, and the engine
will pump water or air or other liquid or fluid instead of employing the
steam or water or air or other liquid or fluid as the motive power.
And I would remark that although I prefer the improved four-way cock
for the purpose of my Invention, yet an ordinary four-way cock may be
substituted, or the cock may be dispensed with altogether, in that caso
making the engine and pump ("not reversing."
20
Having now described the nature of said Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be and may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
Firstly. The constructing rotary engine with the improved or with
ordinary four-way cocks for supply and exhaust.
Secondly. The constructing rotary engines having four-way cocks
with the specially improved four-way cock herein above set forth and
described.
Thirdly. The constructing larger cam of the engine H-shaped on plan,
by which means while the advancing pallet is kept in its necessary
position by the legs or extremities of the H a free passage of the steam
or water is provided for on both sides of the pallet, and thereby the force

page_text: exerted by the inner cam to work such pallet is reduced to a minimum,
and further the back pressure which otherwise must be exerted against
the advancing pallet is entirely removed.
Fourthly. The recessing the ends of the larger cam înto external case,
as herein-before set forth and described; this claim extending to cams
for rotary engines, whether possessing or not possessing in themselves
the specially improved feature of H-shaped ends.
Fifthly. I claim the use of any of the above improvements, as set
forth in the foregoing claims either separately or in combination as
applied to engines in general.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Leonard Bennison, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
HENRY LEONARD BENNISON. (L.S.)