CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elias Robison Handcock, of 23, Norfolk Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER
MOTIVE POWER."
Sealed the 10th March 1865, and dated the 22nd September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elias Robison Handcock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd September 1864.
I, ELIAS ROBISON HANDCOCK, of 23, Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER
MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that description of engine which gives a continuous
rotary motion; the peculiarity of it is, that it consists of a hollow outer rim, into
which annular ring there are valves introduced, which act as pistons; these
pistons are acted on by steam or other fluid to enable the steam to propel
the machenery. The motive power is also admitted underneath these pistons,
which are thereby forced up into their places; they are also assisted by the
centrifugal force, and by their own weight, and also by rollers attached to
axles fixed to their sides, which move in cams attached to the outside casing, by

page_text: which means they are shut up into their bed, and in consequence of the pressure
of the steam on them no leakage can take place. The steam is admitted
direct from the boiler on these pistons or valves passing through an abutment
or fulcrum, which is introduced into the interior of the annular ring through
a slot or aperture; this fulcrum is permanently fixed to the outer casing of
the engine. These valves or pistons move up and down in chambers formed
like large hollow spokes affixed to the boss which is keyed to the shaft, so
that the whole is made to revolve together. The annexed Drawing will
exemplify the Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elias Robison Handcock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIAS
ROBISON HANDCOCK, of 23, Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County of Mid-.
dlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One, thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto the said Elias Robison Handcock Her special licence that I, the said
Elias Robison Handcock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Elias Robison-Handcock, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES TO BE WORKED. BY STEAM
OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition (amongst others): that I, the
said, Elias, Robison Handcock,, my, executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals; should
particularly 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 Elias Robison Handcock, do hereby
declare the nature. of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
.
This Invention consists in the construction of an engine on the rotary
revolving cylender principle, the outer rim being made hollow and furnished
with pistons; into this hollow annular cylender the steam is admitted, and as
this cylender is firmly attached to the shaft or axle, by means shown in the
Drawings, in the manner as an ordinary fly wheel, the whole revolves togather,
and thus a continuous rotary motion is kept up. These pistons, which are
inside the annular cylender, are furnished at their sides with axles, on which
rollers are placed; these axles project through slots in the side plate, which
covers the chamber in which the pistons move, and the rollers travel in
grouves formed in a plate which is affixed to the interior of the jacket .or
outer casing of the engine.
In referring to the Drawings it will be seen that these rollers are only
required to act when the pistons are passing the steam stop, and occasion no
friction during the remainder of the stroke. The steam pressing against the
pistons when they shut into their beds retains them firmly in their position,
and continues to do so until the steam is allowed to exaust, although the cen-
trifugal force alone would be sufficient to effect this object. These pistons
when shut up fit into grouves formed to receive them in the top and sides of
the cylender, and which effectually prevents any escape of steam beyond them.
The number of these pistons, as seen in the Drawings, consist of four, but
the number may be varied under particular circumstances, I therefore do not
confine myself to any given number. It will be perceived that when the
piston arrives at its propelling position, the piston immediately proceeding it
has nearly reached the exhaust port, yet a certain portion of steam is always
retained in the cylender until it is entirely cut off from the boiler; thus when
the steam is allowed to act expansively, there is yet sufficient steam power
retained in the cylender to keep up a continuous rotary motion, and thereby
economise the amount of impact steam required to be laid on after each
discharge. But from the discoveries made by Mr. Pilbrew, mentioned in
his Patent numbered 9354, and dated May 1842, on the properties of impact
steam, and proved by the experaments therein detailed, it is quite clear that
this engine is peculiarly adapted to carry out his theory, and if worked on the
impact principle, the effect would be far greater then what at first sight
appears from the great economy in motive power, the small area of cylender,
the direct rush of the initial steam from the boiler against the piston and sides
of the annular cylender unchequed in its impact force by striking against any

page_text: intermediate object, and the inertia of so heavy a body moving in one direc-
tion without any dead or neutral point to overcome or retard its free progress
or movement. One piston can only be in the propelling position at a time,
and as the steam is allowed to pass down a channel left for the purpose in
the centre of each piston, the motive power is enabled to get underneath, this
being in itself sufficient without the aid of rollers or cerifugal force to keep
the piston fixed in its position, and as the chamber can only be filled. just
before the engine exhausts, and which steam would otherwise be allowed to
escape, no waste can occur from this cause. In consequence of the peculiar
method adopted for packing the cylender, the friction from the rubbing surface
can be but very trifling; this friction being only from the point where the
fulcrum or steam stop is placed to the point where the steam exhausts, little
surface is therefore exposed to the action of the steam, for although the
metalic packing is carried so far round the cylender to the oposite side for
the facility-of-reversing, yet the friction is-only-confined to whero-the-steam-
acts before it reaches the exhaust port, or for about one-quarter of the cir-
cumference of the cylender. But in case where an engine is not required to
be rversed, this packing need only extend so far as the exhaust port, at which:
point the two sections of the packing are devided into seperate pieces, so that
the steam can only act on one; this forms a very peculiar feature in the
Invention. In order to reverse the engine, the steam is cut off at one side
and laid on at the other, and however quick this may be done no injury or
derangement can happen to to the machenery. This engine may be worked
expansively, as seen in Fig. 5, should such be desirable for the sake of
economy or where much power is not required.
.
In all rotary engines some or all of the following defects has led to their
failure Triction, leakage, uneven wear, and the small area of propelling
-surface. All these, if not entirely overcome in the present engine, are reduced
so much that no danger of failure can be apprehended.
.
Another peculiarity of this engine is, that although the area of steam
chamber may be indefinately increased the friction or rubbing surface becomes
less in proportion to such increase. The outside jacket X or case may be
of any shape, as it is not intended as a steam way nor a vital part of the engine.
Fig. 1, letter A, shows the piston, which fits into grouves formed at the
top and sides of the cylender, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 9, letter Z.
Fig. 2, letter A, shows the piston in its working position. This piston has
two pieces of metalic-packing-marked-B, Fig. 7, inserted into the sides; which
being acted on by the steam through channels formed for the purpose,

page_text: marked S, are forced out so as to cover the slot marked D, Fig. 3, preventing
all escape of steam from the chambers through the slot, in which the axles of
the rollers move up and down.
Figs. 1, 2, and 8, letter F, shows the method by which the engine is kept
steam-tight by means of metalic packing. The steam acting on the packing,
presses it up against the top side of the annular cylender, and prevents any
escape of steam.
Fig. 11 shows a ferther means of securing the metalic packing from leakage
by inserting ferther packing at the sides, marked W; to be acted on by the
steam through channels, marked S, in the same Figuire; but I do not think
this requisite.
.
Figs. 1, 6, and 12, letter G, shows the steam stop or fulcrum, which
prevents the escape of steam in a contrary direction, and through which an
induction port is open to allow the steam to pass to the cylender from the
boiler. At the top and bottom and sides of this steam stop or fulcrum metalic
packing, letter II, is also introduced, and is acted on in the same manner by
the steam as the packing in other parts of the engine, channels being left for
the purpose so as to admit the steam to act on the packing, thereby rendering
the steam stop perfectly tight and free from leakage; this metalic packing
being made concave (as seen in Fig. 7), at the side which is exposed to the
action of the steam, marked letters K and B. This steam packing may be
used as described, and I conceive most effectually, yet I do not confine myself
to it, but if necessary shall use springs to act on the metalic packing to force
it out.
.
Figs. 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10 shows the piston A, which is moved up into its
place by means of 'rollers marked E in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 10, which travel in
grouved plates or cams affixed to the inside of the outer casing of the engine,
as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, letter Y, and by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. These
rollers only act for the moment when the piston is passing the steam stop,
letter G, and until it moves up to its position, at all other points of the stroke
they are quite free of the grouves, after which the piston is firmly retained
in its place by the force of the steam, which presses it against the side of the
grouve, and which effectually prevents all leakage. These rollers may be
much enlarged in diameter. Fig. 9, letter A, shows the top of the piston,
letter V two sides of the cylender, and letter Z the grouve into which the
piston is embedded.
Fig. 1, 6, and 12, letter G, also shows the form of the steam stop, and the
manner it is introduced into the interior of the cylender; this may be con-

page_text: Fourthly, I claim the peculiar method of applying the metalic packing, and
inserting it into the annular cylender, being introduced through a continuous
opening or aperture extending all round the annular cylender, as seen in
Fig. 2, letter F, and its peculiar formation, as seen in the different Diagrams,
enabling it to fit close in or against the aperture, and prevent leakage when
the steam is laid on.
Fifthly, I claim the peculiarity, in a reversing engine, of having the metalic
packing devided into two seperate sections, and extending round a great part
of the cylender, yet having the friction occasioned by the action of the steam
confined to that section which lies between the induction port in the steam
stop or fulcrum and the exhaust port T in Figs. 1 and 3, comprising about
one-quarter of the circumference of the cylender.
Sixthly, I claim the steam stop or fulcrum mared G, as seen in Figs. 1
and 12, and the method of packing the same; and also the means of attaching
it through an opening or aperture in the annular eylender to the outer casing
or jacket by firmly bolting it or otherwise fixing it immovably in its position.
Seventhly, I claim the method of boxing in and allowing the steam to act
on the bottom of the piston decending through a channel formed for the
purpose, as seen in Figs. 7, letter S, thereby relieving the friction of the rollers
and keeping the piston up to its place.
And, eighthly, I claim the slot in the plate through which the axle of the
piston rollers projects, marked D, Fig. 2.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elias Robison Handcock, have set my
hand and seal, this 22 day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
E. R. HANDCOCK.
(L.S.)