Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 25th Mar., 1887.
I, JUSTIN THÉVENET of Calais, France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a motor that can be worked by steam, compressed or
heated air, or gas, acting on a reaction wheel or turbine immersed in water, oil or
other suitable liquid, which, when steam or hot air or gas is used, may be kept at the
temperature of the working fluid, or which may be kept cool for the purpose of
condensing the steam or vapour employed. The fluid is admitted to the tubular axis
of a reaction wheel or turbine, and escapes from the circumference thereof through
the liquid in which it is immersed. On this circumference there is a sliding sleeve,
by moving which by hand or by a governor, the width of the circumferential apertures
and consequently the power can be varied to suit the load on the motor. Also the
passage supplying the working fluid may be fitted with a slide valve worked by an
eccentric or cam so as to vary cut off by rendering the supply more or less intermittent.
When there are several passages of issue in the reaction wheel or turbine, these may
be governed by a stationary disc valve having apertures to which the passages present
themselves.successively as they revolve, this valve being so set or having its supply
port so governed by a slide valve, as to cut off supply at any required part of a
revolution. When the motor has to be capable of reversal, as for marine or aerial
propulsion or for locomotives, two reaction wheels or turbines are placed side by side
on the one tubular axis, and valves are arranged so as to admit the working fluid to
the
of the one or the other according to the direction of rotation required.
passages
At the same time as these valves are shifted, the sliding sleeve is moved along the
circumference of the double motor so as to open the passages of the one and close
those of the other. The rotation of the axis may be applied directly for driving
rapidly moving machines such as dynamo-electric machines, or through reducing gear
to machines moving more slowly.
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JUSTIN THÉVENET, of Calais, France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a motor that can be worked by steam, compressed or heated
air, or gas, acting on a reaction wheel or turbine immersed in water, oil or other
suitable liquid, which, when steam or hot air or gas is used, may be kept at the
temperature of the working fluid, or which may be kept cool for the purpose of
condensing the steam or vapour employed. The fluid is admitted to the tubular axis
of a reaction wheel or turbine, and escapes from the circumference thereof through
the liquid in which is immersed. On this circumference there is a sliding sleeve,
by moving which by hand or by a governor, the width of the circumferential apertures
and consequently the power can be varied to suit the load on the motor. Also the
passage supplying the working fluid may be fitted with a slide valve worked by an
eccentric or cam so as to vary cut off by rendering the supply more or less intermittent.
When there are several passages of issue in the reaction wheel or turbine, these may
be governed by a stationary disc valve having apertures to which the passages present
themselves successively as they revolve, this valve being so set or having its supply
port so governed by a slide valve, as to cut off supply at any required part of a
revolution. When the motor has to be capable of reversal, as for marine or aerial
propulsion or for locomotives, two reaction wheels or turbines are placed side by side
on the one tubular axis, and valves are arranged so as to admit the working fluid to
the passages of the one or the other according to the direction of rotation required.
At the same time as these valves are shifted, the sliding sleeve is moved along the
circumference of the double motor so as to open the passages of the one and close
those of the other. The rotation of the axis may be applied directly for driving
rapidly moving machines such as dynamo-electric machines, or through reducing gear
to machines moving more slowly..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1.of the accompanying drawings shews a cross section, Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section and Fig. 3 a sectional plan of one construction of one form of the rotary motor
constructed according to the above described invention. It consists of a reservoir A,
containing a liquid, which may be either closed or not and may be made to
communicate either with the atmosphere or with a condenser by means of the
opening B. It is provided with an inlet aperture C to which is connected the supply
pipe for the liquid, the level of which in the reservoir A is regulated according to the
action of the notor. If the opening B communicates directly with the atmosphere
the excess of liquid escapes through a small orifice D which communicates with the
orifice B. C is a plug for discharging the contents of the reservoir for cleansing

page_text: purposes. E is the shaft of the motor on which is fixed a reaction wheel F provided
with a cylindrical sleeve G fitting thereon with slight friction so as to be carried
round with the wheel but to be capable of lateral displacement by means of two
levers H H provided with antifriction rollers and mounted on the shaft I on which is
fixed the actuating lever J moved by means of a screw spindle as shewn. By altering
the position of the sleeve G during the motion of the motor the sectional area of the
reaction orifices of the wheel can be regulated at will so that the power of the motor
can be varied accordingly or its rotation can be stopped entirely by closing the
orifices. To the branch opening at K is fixed the supply pipe for fluid pressure such
as steam, air or gas employed as motive power. The passage L from this branch
being made to lead directly into the reaction wheel with which it communicates by
means of a separate union sleeve made to butt in a fluid tight manner against the face
of the inlet of the reaction wheel by any suitable pressure.
The motor shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 4 and in cross section at Fig. 5 is
of similar arrangement to the foregoing, the reaction wheel being made to act inside a
reservoir of liquid. A is the reservoir supplied with liquid through the orifice B and
having an escape pipe C provided with a baffle cone for preventing the discharge of
liquid. D is a valve for discharging excess of liquid acted upon by a float E, F is a
stopper for discharging the contents of the tank, G is the motor shaft on which is fixed
the reaction wheel H which may also be of the form shewn at H¹ in front view and
section at Figs. 6 and 7.
The interior of the reaction wheel communicates by means of the passage I with the
slide valve box J in which is a slide valve K worked by the eccentric L. The slide
valve can also be adjusted at will by means of the regulating device at M worked by
hand if necessary when going at full speed either for leaving the inlet opening always
full open or for restricting the opening for the degree of expansion desired or for
closing the opening altogether when the machine is to be stopped. The passage
communicates with the interior of the reaction wheel by a loose sleeve N having
annular openings pressed fluid tight against the face of the reaction wheel.
I
The rotary motor shewn at Fig. 8 in longitudinal section is of the same class as the
foregoing ones, Fig. 9 shows a section at right angles to Fig. 8 through the passages
of the reaction wheel, Fig. 10 shews a sectional plan. This motor can work with
steam at low or high pressure, with or without expansion and with or without
condensation. It may also be worked with air or gas pressure, in which case the
condensing apparatus would be done away with. The liquid reservoir A may or may
not act as a condenser, or it may communicate with a special condenser by means of
openings B and C. The cold water pump D and the feed pump E are shewn driven
by means of toothed gearing, but they may be independently driven, as also the rotary
air pump F which is here shewn directly mounted on the motor shaft.
The reaction wheel G is provided with a cylindrical sleeve H which is directly
connected by the governor I, which also actuates the throttle valve J in the supply
pipe for steam, air or gas. K is the slide valve box in which is a rotary slide valve L
with four hollow ribs fixed on the end of the motor shaft M. This slide valve, which
is shewn in front view at Fig. 11, slides over a friction plate M, having a central
orifice and four radial orifices which communicate during a portion of each revolution
with the hollow ribs of the slide valve. On the back of the friction plate is a second
slide governed by hand by means of a screw spindle whereby the fluid may be
made to work with a definite degree of expansion, by closing for this purpose the
central orifice of the plate N which when the motor works with full pressure allows
free communication between the slide valve box K and the passage formed through
the motor shaft through which the fluid pressure enters the interior of the reaction
wheel. This central orifice of the plate N being closed the fluid pressure can only
enter the reaction wheel through the small portions of a revolution during which the
hollow ribs of the slide valve pass over the four small radial orifices of the plate N
when the fluid pressure would pass through the fluid passages formed in the
hollow ribs.

page_text: Fig. 12 shews a horizontal section through the shaft of a rotary motor of the same
class as those above described in which the motion of the motor is capable of being
reversed for acting as a marine engine or any other. engine that requires reversal of
motion. Fig. 13 shews an end view of this motor and Fig. 14 a front view.
The liquid reservoir A may or may not be put in communication with the condenser
or may itself act as a condenser. The condensing apparatus is not shewn, being of
any suitable known construction. B is the branch opening for the escape pipe. The
motor shaft is connected by a suitable clutch with the propeller shaft or with the
paddle wheel shaft of the vessel or it may be geared therewith by means of suitable
toothed gearing or any other known means of transmission by belts or otherwise.
D and E are two reaction wheels arranged face to face the reaction passages of E
being arranged in reversed positions relative to those of D. The fluid pressure is
admitted through a valve F and it is also admitted to the upper part of the main slide
valve box H and with the lower part of this box by means of the passage G. The
fluid pressure entering at the lower side of the valve box is checked by a slide capable
of being moved by hand by means of a hand wheel I so as to close or open the
communication with the one or other of the compartments of the box H which are
respectively in communication with the one or the other of the reaction wheels. The
upper part of the box H also has two sets of inlet ports for the pressure fluid which
are opened or closed according as the engine is required to move in one direction or
the other. The slide for these last named ports is actuated by means of a lever J
which is connected by a rod with the lever K on the shaft K' for reversing the
motion. The lever K is actuated by means of the hand wheel L on a screw spindle M
having a nut connected to the lever. On the shaft K' are fixed two levers N and N¹
each provided with an antifriction roller for actuating the single concentric sleeve O,
the lateral movement of which closes more or less the reaction orifices of the one or
the other reaction wheel. From the slide valve box II the fluid pressure passes,
according as the engine is to work in the one direction or the other, through
passages P or P into the one or the other of two secondary slide valve boxes
each of which belongs to one of the reaction wheels and which are provided with an
expansion slide RR actuated by means of eccentrics fixed on the motor shaft C.
These boxes are also provided with two other slides SS' worked by hand for
establishing a full communication between the interior of the reaction wheels and the
passages PP when it is desired to work without expansion.
The greater or less degree of expansion may be obtained at will by means of one of
the adjusting devices TT which may be actuated if necessary when the engine is
running at full speed for changing the position of the one or the other of the
slides RR so as to reduce at will the time of opening of the inlet orifices. In order
to obviate excessive friction of the slides R R when working with full pressure by
means of the slides S and S¹, or of one of these slides during the working of the
other, according as the engine is running in one direction or the other, it is sufficient
to withdraw the wedges U or U¹ of the eccentric frames that actuate the slides R R¹.
The sides of the reaction wheel have spaces formed in them that communicate with
the secondary slide boxes in order to obviate the cooling of the interior when
saturated steam, dry or superheated steam is employed. These spaces may however
be made to communicate with the exterior by means of discharge cocks fixed in
openings indicated at V and V1.
Figs. 15, 16 and 17 show a motor for high speed locomotive engines. The liquid
reservoir A has a double escape pipe BB' and a float C for actuating a valve that
regulates the automatic admission of compensating liquid to make good that which
may be carried off by the excess fluid pressure. E is a plug with elastic packing for
enabling the interior of the reservoir to be cleansed, F and G are two reaction wheels
formed of one casting and separated by a partition, the chambers F and G¹ of these
wheels act as reservoirs of fluid pressure. The reaction orifices of the two wheels are
arranged in opposite directions. The reversing lever H is actuated by a suitable
spindle from the drivers box. This lever actuates directly the reversing shaft I with

page_text: its levers and antifriction rollers and also each of the slide valves J and J which open
or close the communicating apertures of the slide valve boxes K and K¹ into which
the fluid pressure passes through pipes connected to openings at L and L'.
Each of the slides of the boxes K and K' governs the one or the other of the slide
valve boxes M or M in which are slide valves N and N1 actuated by eccentrics fixed
on a way shaft O receiving motion from the axle which operates as the motor shaft of
the rotary engine. The way shaft O which is shewn driven by means of pullies and
bands may be effected by any other means such as by means of eccentrics fixed on
the engine shaft. A hand wheel P P actuates the regulating apparatus QQ¹ hy
means of an endless screw whereby the position of the slide valves acting in the
boxes M and M' may be altered in order to vary, as in the preceding cases, the degree
of expansion required.
Figs. 18 and 19 shew respectively a longitudinal section and a cross section of a
rotary motor applied to a locomotive engine or to a road engine. The liquid
reservoir A has two escape pipes B and C and a discharge pipe D; the two reaction
wheels E and F have their reaction passages arranged in opposite directions; the
reversing lever G is fixed on a shaft H having the two levers with antifriction
rollers II for shifting the single sleeve J, which opens or closes the reaction orifices
of the one or the other reaction wheel at the same time that it regulates the area of
these openings. Two slide valves K and K are actuated directly by a second
reversing lever L as in this special case the rotary motor works without expansion
and the regulation of the openings of the reaction wheels is independent of the
regulation of the distributing slides K or K which only have for their object to
supply the one or the other of the reaction wheels with fluid pressure according to the
direction of motion desired. The two supply pipes M and M for fluid pressure work
in stuffing boxes as also does the escape pipe B in order to allow of vertical motion of
the steam boiler or reservoir of air or gas without exercising pressure upon the liquid
reservoir and the motor shaft. The motor shaft N, on which are fixed the reaction
wheels, is carried in brasses of plummer blocks formed in one with the axle boxes of
the wheel axles so that the distance between the motor shaft and such axle shall be
unalterable in order to ensure the perfect working of the toothed gearing by means of
which the motion of the one is imparted to the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improved construction of rotary motor wherein the reaction wheel actuated
by elastic fluid pressure is made to work in a reservoir charged with liquid to such an
extent as to maintain the wheel submerged, the reservoir being made to communicate
either with the atmosphere or with the condenser, substantially as herein described.
2. The combination of a reaction wheel such as is described with reference to
Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings with a liquid reservoir communicating either with the
atmosphere or with a condenser, the reaction wheel being provided with a sleeve
carried round thereby but capable of being slid laterally thereon so as to regulate the
area of the reaction orifices.
3. The construction of motor such as is described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7
consisting of a liquid reservoir containing a reaction wheel or turbine, the interior of
which communicates with the port of a slide valve box, the slide in which is made at
will to open or close the port more or less.
4. The construction of rotary motor such as is described with reference to Figs. S
to 11, wherein the reaction wheel, working in a liquid reservoir that may or may not
act as a condenser, has a regulating sleeve that is actuated by a governor, which at the
same time regulates the position of a stationary disc valve operating in combination
with a revolving disc having four radial passages through which the fluid pressure
enters the reaction wheel during a fraction of each revolution, the stationary disc
valve having a central orifice governed by a slide for working with full pressure when
required.

page_text: 5. The construction of rotary motor such as is described with reference to Figs. 12
to 14, applicable as a marine engine, wherein two reaction wheels have their reaction
passages in reversed positions, for obtaining reversed motion, and are governed by a
single sliding sleeve, that closes the reaction orifices of the wheel which is not to be
acted upon by the fluid pressure, each reaction wheel being provided with an
arrangement of double distributing slides whereby the motor may be made to work
either with full pressure or with expansion.
6. The construction of rotary motor such as is shewn at Figs. 15 to 17 applicable
for locomotive engines, wherein two reaction wheels working in contrary directions
have a sliding sleeve for closing the reaction orifices of the one or other wheel, and
are provided with variable expansion gear worked by hand.
7. The construction of rotary motor such as is herein described and shewn at
Figs. 18 and 19 adapted for locomotive or road engines, wherein two reaction wheels
acting in opposite directions for reversal of motion have a sliding sleeve for closing
the reaction orifices of the one or other wheel, the said wheels being fixed on a shaft
the rotary motion of which is imparted by toothed gearing to the axle of the road
wheels, the motor fluid being made always to act at full pressure.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.