IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES FOR OPERATING PROPELLER AND OTHER SHAFTS WHERE COUNTER-THRUST IS REQUIRED.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Alexander Teulon, of 7, Haverstock
Terrace, Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES FOR OPERATING PROPELLER AND
OTHER SHAFTS WHERE COUNTER-THRUST IS REQUIRED.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Alexander
i Teulon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
เ
Petition, on the 25th February 1874.
I, GEORGE ALEXANDER TEULON, of 7, Haverstock Terrace, Hampstead,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES FOR OPERATING PROPELLER
AND OTHER SHAFTS WHERE COUNTER-THRUST IS REQUIRED," to be as follows:-
Hitherto the reaction or thrust of the shaft of a screw or other similar
propeller has generally been counteracted by expedients involving very
considerable friction, and therefore to an equal extent a direct loss and
indirect waste of propulsive power.

page_text: My Invention has for its object to cause such a counteraction by
means of the prime mover as shall impart to the propeller shaft an axial
strain (either of tension or of compression, as may be necessary) in a
direction contrary or opposite to the normal reaction or thrust of the
propeller.
The Invention is applicable (by use either of steam or of other motive
power) to other purposes where it may be necessary to maintain a con-
tinuous thrust or counter-thrust combined with high rotary speed, as in
boring machines, in taking weight off the bearings of a turbine under a
deep fall, and in other cases. I employ for this purpose an adaptation
of the form of rotary engine (known as Hero's in relation to steam, or
Barker's in relation to water), which revolves by the simultaneous
action and reaction due to jets of the fluid employed issuing from
tangential orifices in radial tubes or discs supplied from a hollow axis
or shaft.
The direction of these tangential orifices in Hero's and
Barker's machines is normally in the plane of rotation, but according to
my Invention their direction is in a plane diagonal or inclined to the
plane of rotation, and all of those for the time in action are open towards
one side of the plane of rotation, whereby there will result on admission
of steam (or other motive power employed) an axial thrust of the central
shaft in the opposite direction combined with high rotary speed, and it
at once becomes practicable to counteract the normal thrust of a screw
or other similar propeller fixed on or connected to the same shaft while
aiding its rapid rotation, and at the same time neutralising most of the
friction hitherto arising from the thrust.
In carrying out my improvements the arms or discs of the wheel with
their outlets may be made to revolve in a steam-tight chamber, from
which the exhaust steam may be conducted to an engine or engines
acting directly on the main shaft.
Suitable valves and reversing gear are provided to alternate (as
required) the direction of the fluid in escaping from the jets in the
wheel to one or the other side of the plane of rotation, thereby altering
the direction of the axial thrust.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Alexander Teulon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ALEXANDER TEULON, of 7, Haverstock Terrace, Hampstead, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said George Alexander Teulon, Her
special license that I, tho said George Alexander Teulon, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Alexander Teulon, 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES FOR OPERATING PROPELLER AND
OTHER SHAFTS WHERE COUNTER-THRUST IS REQUIRED," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Alexander Teulon, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Alexander Teulon, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
19
Hitherto the reaction or thrust of the shaft of a screw or other similar
propeller has generally been counteracted by expedients involving very
considerable friction, and therefore to an equal extent a direct loss and
indirect waste of propulsive power..

page_text: My Invention has for its object to cause such a counteraction by
means of the prime mover as shall impart to the propeller shaft simul.
taneously with its rotation an axial strain (either of tension or of com-
pression, as may be necessary) in a direction contrary or opposite to the
normal reaction or thrust of the propeller; and the Invention is also
applicable to other purposes where it may be necessary to maintain a
continuous thrust or counter-thrust combined with high rotary speed, as
(by use preferably of air) in boring machines and (by use preferably of
water) in lessening the strain on the bearing of a turbine and in other
cases. I employ for this purpose an adaptation of the form of rotary
engine (known as Hero's in relation to steam, and Barker's in relation to
water), which revolves by the simultaneous action and reaction due to
jets of the fluid employed issuing from tangential orifices in radial tubes.
or discs supplied from a hollow axis or shaft. The direction of these
tangential orifices in Hero's and Barker's machines is normally in the
plane of rotation, but according to my Invention their direction is in the
plane of the tangent of cach, but diagonal or laterally inclined to the
plane of rotation (on the same principle as the diagonal orifices in
the rear of Hales' rifled rocket, effecting simultaneously the forward.
thrust and the rotation of it) and all of those for the time in action are
open towards one side of the plane of rotation, whereby there will result
on admission of steam (or other motive power employed) an axial
thrust of the central shaft in the opposite direction, combined with high
rotary speed, so that the normal thrust of a propeller fixed on or con-
nected to the same shaft may be counteracted and the usually consequent

page_text: Figure I. is a transverse vertical elevation of the thrust wheel with
the tubes shewn in section; Figure II. is a longitudinal vertical section
of the same in its reservoir with a three-cylinder engine attached.
A is the central steam tube; B, B, a slotted slide valve, which acts as
steam and stop-valve to the two sets of radial tubes, and is pushed in or
drawn out to alternate the direction of thrust by the lever C or any
appropriate contrivance. The lever C in practice might be horizontal.
D, D, are radial tubes or hollow spokes with their terminal orifices E, E,
set diagonally as to the plane of rotation and open towards the bow, so
that their resultant thrust (of compression) upon the shaft F will
counteract that of the propeller when going ahead; G, G, are other
radial tubes with their diagonal orifices H, H, open towards the stern,
so that their resultant strain (of tension) upon the shaft F will counter-
act the pull of the propeller when "going astern." The whole wheel
is made to serve as a fly wheel by a weighty rim with additional solid
spokes K, K, or the system of spokes may be wholly dispensed with and
the wheel treated simply as two hollow discs, through the interspaces of
which the steam passes freely, or is guided by partitions to the diagonal
jets on their peripheries; J, J, are. coupling discs which rigidly connect
the thrust wheel with the main shaft F; L, L, is a steam-tight case or
reservoir properly sheathed, surrounding the wheel as a reservoir for the
escaping steam, which is conducted by a double-acting rotary valve I, I,
(or other arrangement) to a cylinder engine, which will utilize its
remaining power prior to its condensation.
The form of engine preferred and best adapted by its simplicity and
great working speed to fill this place is a form of three-cylinder engine,
such as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
Peter Brotherhood, bearing date the 24th day of January 1873, No. 287,
(as indicated in the Drawing), but when the thrust wheel is used for
other purposes a second engine would be dispensed with.
M, M, is a thrust bearing of ordinary type, but should not consist
of more than two rings; its use is to obviate any inequality of strain
between the thrust of the propeller and the counter-thrust of the
steam wheel, and to prevent displacement of the machinery this thrust
bearing would generally be dispensed with when the thrust wheel is

page_text: applied to other purposes. N is the junction of the steam tube and the
most advantageous position for the throttle valve.
The thrust may be augmented as desired by increasing (1) the radius
of the steam wheel, (2) the steam pressure or the boiler capacity, (3) the
size of the second engine, and consequently its steam consumption,
thereby lessening the retarding pressure in the reservoir.
Scope for the mode first named may be obtained with other advantages
by inclining the propeller shaft, as described in the Specification of
Letters Patent, granted to Edward James Harland, bearing date the 17th
day of October 1871, No. 2756; or, less simply and efficiently by
transmitting the thrust of the steam wheel from a higher level to the
propeller shaft through an intermediate shaft with universal joint
couplings at cither end.
Having thus described my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details herein shewn and described as the same may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but
what I claim is, the employment in steam, air, and water engines of
diagonal orifices for jets on the periphery of a wheel for simultaneously
rotating the same and imparting axial thrusts in either direction to its
central shaft, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Alexander Teulon, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four