IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Edward Felton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1874.
I, JOHN EDWARD FELTON, of Grantham, Lincolnshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The engine consists of a hollow vessel, either square or round in
section; or sometimes I may prefer a vessel square in the central portion
of its length, and round at each end. In either case two of the sides at
the centre of the length of the vessel is pierced to receive a metal bush
on each side, through and in which a shaft may revolve at a right angle
to the sides of the vessel; this shaft has a drum keyed or otherwise
secured on it. From this drum arms radiate, and are of such diameter
that they will just clear two sides of the vessel, the ends of the drum
clearing the other two sides. Each square or circular end of the vessel
has a piston fitted in it water-tight. Each piston is provided with a rod
at its centre, which passes through and slides in a bearing carried by or
formed in a cross bar or cap secured to each end of the vessel. The outer

page_text: end of each rod is secured to the centre of a bar which is provided with
a rod at one end, which rod slides in a bearing secured to the side of the
vessel. The opposite end of each bar forms a bearing for a right or left-
hand screw, one screw being the reverse of the other, in order that they
may both be operated simultaneously to move the pistons to or from the
centre of the vessel, which is effected in the following manner :-The
outer end of each screw is provided with a wheel, each of which has a
worm wheel gearing into it, which is secured on the lower end of a shaft
lying in bearings on a bracket secured to the vessel. The upper end of
each shaft carries a mitre wheel, which are driven by two other mitre
wheels on a third shaft, which revolves parallel to the length of the
vessel. The bearings for this shaft is carried by the vessel or by a
standard or foundation to which the vessel is secured when required.
The shaft and mitre wheels are revolved by a hand wheel at either or
both ends.
Inside the vessel, on each side of the arms of the drum, a
plate or shield is placed, extending the length of the drum, and lying at
each end in slots in the sides of the vessel; one edge of each plate lies
the same distance from the side of the vessel as the length of space from
the edge of one arm of the drum to the edge of the next arm. The
opposite edge of each plate is somewhat nearer the side of the vessel
than the first named, and each plate is in the reverse position to the
other; but both plates are arranged so that they can be reversed
simultaneously by reversing gear similar to that used on portable steam
engines, and a break may be employed to stop the engine, similar in
construction to those employed on locomotive engines. The shaft
carrying the drum is provided with a fly wheel at one end and pulleys at
the other.
.
The engine acts as follows:-Upon the hand wheel being turned so as
to press the pistons. towards the centre of the vessel the water will be
compressed, and escaping through the widest spaces between the shields
and sides of the vessel impinges upon the arms of the drum and causes it
to revolve, the water in the spaces between the arms passing into the
space between the opposite shield and piston, a double continuous
pressure being produced.