IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I JAMES MORTON HALL of 4 Saint Leonard's Terrace, Lancaster in the county
of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES "to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to so construct an engine of the type known as
"rotary engines" that the number of parts to which motion is imparted shall be as
few as possible; that such parts shall all have a continuous rotary motion, and
shall all revolve round a common centre, which shall also be the centre of gravity
of the parts in motion, so as to more perfectly balance such parts and enable the
engine to run steadily and economically, at very high speeds.-The engine is also
so constructed that it can be easily reversed while in motion, without the use of
eccentrics, reversing links or other device, which from the number of its parts is
objectionable at high speeds. And further to so construct the same that it may be
started from any position in either direction without " Baring" and have no
dead-point."
In carrying out my invention I make the piston, or that portion of the engine
which does duty as such, in the form of a ball or sphere which may be either solid
or hollow but must be turned perfectly true outside and keyed or otherwise secured
to a shaft passing through the centre of it; the said sphere is furnished with two
belts projecting from and encircling about three fourths of its circumference, at
right angles to each other and in the same direction with relation to the shaft as
the longitudinal lines of the globe are to its poles; the faces of the said belts aro
concentric with and the sides radiate from the centre of the sphere; the
terminations of each belt are towards opposite ends.-For convenience of turning
one of these belts may be cast in one piece with the sphere, but the other should
be made separate and be afterwards secured to the sphere both belts being
provided with suitable spring rings. The spherical piston as above described is
provided with a loose ring or diaphragm somewhat larger in diameter than the
piston belts, encircling the whole circumference of the sphère and in a direction at
right angles to its axis, but (by reason of its inner circumference exactly coinciding
with the surface of the sphere) it is free to move to an angle of about 45 degrees
from that position in any plane; the said diaphragm is provided with four slots
for the piston belts to pass through and with loose tongue pieces kept in contact
with the piston belts by suitable springs within the diaphragm ring, which is made
in two parts for that purpose and also to allow of its being placed on the sphere.

page_text: The piston with its fixed belts and diaphragm as described is then enveloped in
a hollow casing which exactly fits over the fixed belts of the. piston, and is
provided with stuffing boxes and glands through which the shaft passes, the said
casing is in two parts for this purpose and is provided with suitable flanges for
bolting the parts together; each part is so much less than half a sphere that when
the diaphragm ring is placed between them a complete sphere is formed; the faces
of the said flanges are arranged at right angles to the axis of the shaft on the same
horizontal plane, but at an angle of 45 degrees to it on the same vertical plane,
they are provided with a distance piece between them in the form of a ring
through which the bolts that secure the casing together pass; the said distance
ring is equal in outer diameter to the diameter of the flanges but not so wide thus
leaving a square groove inside the casing in which the diaphragm ring fits and is
free to revolve. It will thus be seen that the annular space formed between the
ball or sphere and the hollow casing is divided into two chambers by the
diaphragm ring and that each of these chambers is again divided by one or other
of the fixed belts of the piston forming in all four distinct chambers; it will be
further seen that when the piston is revolved so that either of the belts, are placed
in the same vertical plane as the axis of rotation, segments of such belt are
exposed on each side of it equal respectively to 135 degrees and 45 degrees, the
preponderance being on the reverse sides of the axis of rotation in opposite
chambers, it is obvious therefore that if steam, or other motive power be
admitted to one of the annular chambers thus formed the pressure acting upon
the preponderating area will move the spherical piston round (and with it the
diaphragm ring) the preponderance of area, gradually disappearing, until it arrives
at a position at right angles to its starting point, when the areas becoming equal
the steam in that chamber ceases to act; but during its motion it has moved the
other belt into a similar positon from which it started and the preponderance of
area being now on this one the motion is taken up by it and so continued
throughout, each chamber becoming charged with steam as the opposite one is
discharging into the exhaust, the same is accomplished by the belts themselves
passing over and cutting off suitable ports, a pair of which (one for steam and one
for exhaust) are formed in the casing near each stuffing box, thus entirely
dispensing with any kind of valve whatever.
To reverse the motion of the engine it is only necessary to turn the steam into
the exhaust ports and allow the exhaust to escape at the steam ports, which may
be effected by providing a suitable valve preferably of the slide type actuated by a
hand lever or other suitable device.
The engine as herein described may be driven by steam, or compressed air; or
by a head of water, or by adding a pump and igniting mechanism of any known
kind it may be used as a gas engine. It may also be used as a rotary pump for
which purpose it possesses the advantage of having no valves or clacks; in this
case as also in the case of its being driven by water suitable leathers are to be
.substituted for the spring rings and tongue pieces hereinbefore described.
1
TOLL
Anul 190K

page_text: I JAMES MORTON HALL, of 4 Saint Leonard's Terrace, Lancaster, in the county
of Lancaster, 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:—
"
The object of this invention is to so construct an engine of the type known as
'rotary engines" that the number of parts to which motion is imparted shall he
as few as possible; that such parts shall all have a continuous rotary motion, and
shall all revolve round a common centre, which shall also be the centre of gravity
of the parts in motion, so as to more perfectly balance such parts and enable the
engine to run steadily and economically at very high speeds. The engine is also
so constructed that it can be easily reversed while in motion without the use of
eccentrics, reversing links or other device which from the number of its parts is
objectionable at high speeds. And further to so construct the same that it may be
started from any position in either direction without "baring" and have no "dead
point."
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawings in which figure 1, is a longitudinal
section of a rotary engine constructed according to my invention; figure 2, is a
transverse section on line A, B, of figure 1; figures 3, 4 and 5 are views of some of
the parts; figures 6 and 7, are similar views to figure 1, but shewing a modified
construction of engine. Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
In carrying out my invention I make the piston, or that portion of the engine
which does duty as such, in the form of a ball or sphere A, figure 1, which may be
either solid or hollow but must be turned perfectly true outside and keyed or
otherwise secured to a shaft B, passing through the centre of it; the said sphere is
furnished with two belts C, C¹, projecting from and encircling about three fourths
of its circumference, at right angles to each other and in the same direction with
relation to the shaft as the longitudinal lines of the globe are to its poles; the
faces of the said belts are concentric with and the sides radiate from the centre of
the sphere A; the terminations of each belt are towards opposite ends. For
convenience of turning, one of these belts may be cast in one piece with the
sphere A, but the other should be made separate and be afterwards secured to.
the sphere, both belts being provided with suitable spring rings. The spherical
piston A, as above described is provided with a loose ring or diaphragm D, figure 1
(shewn also in elevation at figure 3) somewhat larger in diameter than the piston
belts, encircling the whole circumference of the sphere and in a direction at right
angles to its axis, but (by reason of its inner circumference exactly coinciding with
the surface of the sphere) it is free to move to an angle of about 45 degrees from
that position in any plane; the said diaphragın D, is provided with four slots E, E¹
E, E³, figure 3, for the piston belts C, C¹, to pass through and with loose tongue
pieces F, F, F, Fa, figure 3 (shewn also drawn to a larger scale in face and edge
views at figures 4 and 5, respectively) kept in contact with the piston belts C, C¹,
by suitable springs G, within the diaphragm ring D, which is made in two parts
for that purpose and also to allow of its being placed on the sphere.

page_text: Instead of the piston belts C, C', being made in a piece with the sphere A, as above
described they may, if preferred, be made semi-circular as shewn at figures 6, and 7
and free to slide in grooves cut in the sphere, whose position corresponds to that of
the fixed belts as previously described; the ends of such semi-circular belts instead
of passing through the diaphragm D, being in this case hinged to it at right
angles to each other and on reverse sides by suitable trunnions X, as shewn at
figures 6 and 7.
The piston with its fixed or semi-circular belts C, C', and diaphragm D, as
described is then enveloped in a hollow casing H, which exactly fits over the fixed
or semi-circular belts of the piston and is provided with stuffing boxes and
glands I, I, through which the shaft B passes; the said casing is in two parts for
this purpose and is provided with suitable flanges K, for bolting the parts
together; each part is so much less than half a sphere that when the diaphragm
ring is placed between them a complete hollow sphere is formed; the faces of the
said flanges are arranged at right angles to the axis of the shaft on the same
horizontal plane but at an angle of 45 degrees to it on the same vertical plane,
they are provided with a distance piece between them in the form of a ring J,
through which the bolts that secure the casing together pass; the said distance
ring J, is equal in outer diameter to the diameter of the flanges but not so wide
thus leaving a square groove L, inside the casing in which the diaphragm ring fits
and is free to revolve. It will thus be seen that the annular space formed between
the ball or sphere A and the hollow casing H, is divided into two chambers by the
diaphragm ring and that each of these chambers is again divided by one or other
of the fixed or semi-circular belts C, C', of the piston A, forming in all four distinct
chambers; it will be further seen that when the piston is revolved so that one of
the belts (say C) is placed in the same vertical plane as the axis of rotation,
segments of such belt are exposed on each side of it equal respectively to
135 degrees and 45 degrees, the preponderance being on the reverse sides of the
axis of rotation in opposite chambers; it is obvious therefore that if steam, or
other motive power be admitted to one of the annular chambers thus formed the
pressure acting upon the preponderating area of belt will move the spherical
piston round (and with it the diaphragm ring D) the preponderance of area,
gradually disappearing, until it arrives at a position at right angles to its starting
point, when the areas becoming equal the steam in that chamber ceases to act; but
during its motion it has moved the other belt C', into a similar position from which
the first belt C, started and the preponderance of area being now on this one the
motion is taken up by it and so continued throughout, each chamber becoming
charged with steam as the opposite one is discharging into the exhaust; the same
is accomplished by the belts themselves passing over and cutting off suitable ports,
a pair of which (one for steam and one for exhaust) are formed in the casing H,
near each stuffing box, thus entirely dispensing with any kind of valve whatever.
To reverse the motion of the engine it is only necessary to turn the steam into
the exhaust ports and allow the exhaust to escape at the steam ports which may
be effected by providing a suitable valve preferably of the slide type (or as shewn
at M) actuated by a hand lever or other suitable device.
The engine as herein described may be driven by steam, or compressed air, or by
a head of water. It may also be used as a rotary pump for which purpose it
possesses the advantage of having no valves or clacks; in this case as also in the
case of its being driven by water suitable leathers are to be substituted for the
spring rings and tongue pieces hereinbefore described.
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 I do
not claim the use or application of a casing in the form of a hollow sphere, as the
equivalent of an engine cylinder but what I do claim is
1. In a casing such as that herein described and shewn at H the groove L formed
by the junction of the parts of such casing and the distance ring J for the purpose

page_text: of receiving and guiding the diaphragm as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a rotary engine the arrangement of a groove such as L in an angular
position with relation to the axis of rotation of the engine for the purpose of
dividing the casing or cylinder of such an engine into unequal chambers as herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a rotary engine the ball or sphere A, with its belts C, C¹, both fixed and
semi-circular, in combination with the diaphragm D and the trunnions X, and other
parts connecting the said ball and belts to the diaphragm substantially as herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
4. The employment in a rotary engine of a diaphragm or division plate, such
as D, set at an angle with the axis of rotation and revolving in a groove substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
5. The general arrangement of parts forming the improved rotary engine as
hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent for the Applicant.