Improvements in Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1894-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
I, MARK HEATON ROBINSON, of Picton House, Thames Ditton, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
These improvements have reference to engines in which rotation takes place
by the reaction from jets of steam or other elastic fluid. Instead of passing the
fluid directly from the jets to the atmosphere or to a condenser I cause them to
discharge into a reservoir, from which the fluid enters another rotating body with
orifices, which discharge into another reservoir, and so on, through as many stages
as may be desired. Thus if the rotating part consists of a pair of arms, as in
the well known "Barker's mill," these will rotate in a closed vessel, from which
a second Barker's mill draws its supply of fluid, and so on. The various sets of
arms may be upon one hollow spindle, the hollow being discontinuous. The steam
or other fluid may pass from the spindle to the first set of arms; from them,
by the jets, to the chamber in which the arms rotate; from the chamber back
into the spindle, which passes through a stuffing box from the first chamber into
a second one, in which a second set of arms revolves. The latter discharge into
the second chamber, whence the fluid passes again into the spindle, and so on
for as many times as may be desired. The size of the successive jets or openings
(or the number in each set of arms) should be increased to allow for the gradual
expansion of the elastic fluid, and the sizes of the openings, and the number of
stages, and the peripheral speed of the arms or orifices, should be so arranged
that the speed at which the fluid issues from the several orifices, and particularly
from the last one, shall be nearly equal to the peripheral speed. Instead of a
succession of Barker's mills the apparatus may consist of a series of hollow discs
mounted on one spindle. In each disc nozzles may be placed delivering steam
tangentially into the hollow and drawing it through holes in the diaphragm
separating the said hollow from the hollow of the disc preceding it in the series.
In this form the chambers rotate as well as the nozzles, and form one con-
struction with them. The final discharge is into a chamber which may enclose
the whole of the rotating part, such chamber communicating with the atmosphere
or with the condenser, as the case may be. The shaft carrying the rotating part
enters and leaves the said chamber (if so arranged) through stuffing boxes, but
no stuffing boxes are required between the successive hollow discs. Steam reaches
the nozzles in the first disc through a hollow in the shaft. If it is inconvenient
to arrange a sufficient number of discs one beyond the other, in one series, each
dise may be divided into several circumferential channels, surrounding a central
hollow. Then after passing through nozzles in all the central hollows in
succession, the elastic Huid may pass back through nozzles in the first annular
channel in each disc; then through nozzles in the second annular channel in
cach disc, and so on.
It is obvious that many arrangements in which the chambers coutaining nozzles
succeed each other either side by side or radially, or by a combination of both
methods, may be devised, the object in all being to divide the total fall of pressure
into so many stages that the difference of pressure at the two sides of each nozzle
shall be so small that the velocity of discharge through the nozzle shall exceed by
comparatively little the velocity of the nozzle through space.
Dated this 10th dow of Avoust 1002

page_text: Improvements in Steam and other Fluid Pressure Engines.
I, MARK HEATON ROBINSON, of Picton House, Thames Ditton, in the County
of Surrey, 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 :-
My invention has reference to engines in which rotation takes place by the
reaction from jets of steam or other elastic fluid.
Instead of passing the fluid directly from the jets to the atmosphere, or to a
condenser, I cause them to discharge into a reservoir from which the fluid enters
another rotating body with orifices, which discharge into another reservoir, and so
on through as many stages as may be necessary to utilise the energy in the elastic
fluid. Elastic fluids of a vaporous or gaseous character, in passing through an
orifice from one vessel at a higher to another at a lower pressure, do so with very
great velocity, if the difference of pressure is not extremely small. If the rotating
body has a circumferential speed as great as the velocity of the fluid in escaping
through the orifice, so that the fluid after discharge remains stationary in space, it
is evident that the whole of its available energy will have been utilised. The
unbalanced pressure upon the interior of the rotating body (opposite to the jet)
multiplied by the circumferential velocity will give a mechanical energy equal to
the available energy of the elastic fluid between the limits of temperature imposed
by the conditions. But with a range of temperature and pressure large enough to
be practically useful. the velocity of discharge through a single orifice far exceeds
the permissible circumferential velocity of the orifice itself: the rotative speed
would be so great that the apparatus would fly in pieces.
With a comparatively low velocity of rotation the elastic fluid retains much of
its energy after discharge, which is dissipated in pushing back the atmosphere or
in creating eddies: hence all forms of unbalanced pressure engines, commonly
called reaction engines have hitherto proved extremely wasteful and inefficient.
They would not be so in theory, were they applied to utilise the energy of
elastic fluids of extremely low pressures (such as half a pound per square inch)
but in practice the energy they utilised in this way would probably be insufficient
to overcome their own friction: at any rate it would be insufficient for any
practical purpose.
My invention aims at producing a series of re-action engines, each working
under economical conditions, that is, with a small fall in pressure, combined in
one apparatus, the friction of which is small relatively to the aggregate effect
of the series of engines.
In my Provisional Specification I described such a compound reaction engine in
the form of a series of Barker's mills rotating in closed fixed chambers, mounted
upon a common spindle, through which the elastic fluid passed from each chamber
in succession to the rotating arms of the next Barker's mill, and so on, the spindle
passing from chamber to chamber through stuffing boxes or other close-fitting
openings. I described this as the most elementary form of such an engine, and in
order to lead up to a second and better form also described therein, but I do not
desire to include such an engine under this Patent, as a great number of Barker's
mills, in separate discharge chambers, would form a cumbersome and expensive
machine, while the friction of the spindle, passing through a great number of
stuffing boxes or close-fitting holes, would be considerable.
The second form of apparatus described in the Provisional Specification, is free
from these defects. It consists of a series of hollow discs or short cylinders, bolted
together end ways and mounted upon a common spindle,-in effect one long cylinder
divided into short ones by a great number of fixed partitions or diaphragms, and

page_text: all mounted so as to revolve in one piece. Steam (or other clastic fluid) is admitted
to the first cylinder of the series from the spindle, which is hollow, and in connection
with the steam supply.
In the partition or diaphragm dividing the first cylinder from the second is a
hole as far from the centre as possible. In the second cylinder and supplied with
steam or other elastic fluid, from the hole referred to, is a jet orifice pointing
tangentially, through which the fluid passes into the body of the second cylinder,
and its unbalanced pressure in the body of the jet apparatus tends to cause the
whole machine to revolve. From the second cylinder the fluid passes in the same
way into the third, and so on, throughout the whole series. The orifices of the jets
increase in size as the expansion continues,- -or the same effect may be produced by
an increase in the number of jets discharging into each chamber successively, with
or without an increase of area in the individual jets.
The number of cylinders or chambers depends upon the completeness with which
it is desired to utilise the available energy contained in the elastic fluid; upon the
available fall in pressure of the latter; and upon the circumferential speed at which
the jets are to move. The best result will be attained, approximately, when the
difference of pressure between any two adjoining chambers is such that the fluid
passes from one to the other at the same velocity which the jet apparatus has in
its passage in the contrary direction through space.
The fluid, on discharge from each jet, has then no motion, as a whole, relatively
to space it is obvious that this should be the case upon the last discharge, into the
atmosphere or into a condenser; if the finally escaping fluid has greater velocity
left in it than that of the jet apparatus in the opposite direction, the expansive
action of the fluid will have been imperfectly utilised.
The exhaust steam may be finally got rid of by being discharged into the
atmosphere from the last jet (F in Figure 2) or into a casing (which may com-
municate either with the atmosphere or with a condenser) enclosing the whole of
the rotating part of the apparatus (as shewn in Figure 2) or, if the working fluid
be free from water, the exhaust fluid may be brought inwards from the last jet to
the centre, and discharged through a hollow in the spindle.
The great number of separate chambers required when there is a considerable
total fall of pressure in the working fluid makes it undesirable that they should be
all in the form of cylinders placed end to end. It is immaterial whether each
chamber is a complete cylinder, or an annular space. There may therefore be
several chambers concentric with each other, in each short cylinder, ranged
radially, one further from the axis than the next and so on as in the drawing
Figure 1 annexed.
It is obvious that many arrangements in which the chambers containing nozzles
succeed each other either side by side, or radially, or by a combination of both
methods, may be devised, the object in all being to divide the total fall of pressure
into so many stages that the difference of pressure at the two sides of each nozzle
shall be so small that the velocity of discharge through the nozzle shall exceed by
comparatively little the velocity of the nozzle through space.
Figure 1 annexed shows a sectional elevation of part of a series of concentric
chambers A. B. C. upon the linea in Figure 2 with jets discharging into them:
in Figure 2 several of such series of chambers are shown. Each series of concentric
chambers is formed preferably in one casting, with a disc D, and concentric cylinders
or rims E, E', E. For convenience, only four groups of concentric chambers with
three chambers in each group are shown in Figure 2, but there would be, under
ordinary conditions, a much greater number.
Any number of jets may be used discharging from one chamber to the next,
subject to the consideration that the issuing jet of steam should not have any
obstruction in front of it until well beyond the point at which it first strikes the
inside of the rim or cylinder. The number and arrangement of the jets must be
such as to admit of the proper balancing of the apparatus.
F, F, are the jet orifices, preferably proceeding from small chambers G, G, which

page_text: are supplied with steam or other working elastic fluid through the holes H H in
the disc forming the back of the chambers, through which it flows in from the next
preceding chamber.
:
It will be noticed that the course of the expanding fluid is from A to A' (Figure 2)
and thence to A2 and A³, thence it passes by holes in E, to B³, thence to B², B¹
and B; thence by holes in E¹ to C and thence to C1 C2 and C³: thence by the
jet orifice F¹ to the exhaust, (as already explained, the number of chambers is in
practice much greater than the diagrams show). Water is able to follow the same
course which is always either parallel with the axis or radially outwards.
The annular chambers B, C, are shewn as being of large section, relatively to
the sectional area of the jets F. F, so that the working fluid in them may be in a
comparatively quiescent state.
The chambers G G are shown as cast in one piece with the discs and rims D E.
As the internal surfaces of the chambers B. C should be machined smooth (to lessen
the friction between the revolving chambers and the steam or other fluid inside
them) it may be more convenient to make the chambers G G as separate castings.
Their elongated and tapered form is to lessen frictional resistance.
The backs of the discs D, the edges of the rims or annuli E E and the bosses K K
are machined so that they make steam tight joints with each other when drawn
together by the bolts L L L (Figure 1). These bolts may be arranged in any
convenient way, both inside the chambers as shown, and through lugs upon the
outside of the cylinders, as at L'.
As the separate castings are kept concentric with each other by other means, it
is not necessary for all the bosses K K to fit closely to the spindle. The spindle
may be tapered or stepped in different diameters, to allow of easy removal of the
chambers.
The working fluid is shown as entering the first chamber A by the passage Min
the hollow shaft, into which it is brought by a pipe Q, through any convenient
form of stuffing box or gland.
To guard against injurious effects of heating the shaft by steam in the passage M,
the bearing R may be fitted with metallic rollers instead of brasses.
S is a chamber into which the final orifice F¹ discharges. It is in communication
with the atmosphere or condenser, and provision is made for keeping it drained.
TT are light stuffing boxes or glands. Or F¹ may discharge into the atmosphere,
or, if the working fluid does not contain water it may discharge into a final
chamber or cylinder emptied through a passage in the central spindle. V is the
exhaust opening from the chamber S. In some cases the sequence of the chambers
is radial instead of parallel as in Figure 3 where the outermost chamber C¹ contains
no jet. From C¹ the working fluid again passes by a hollow disc or cylinder W
(Figure 4) to the inner chamber A of another radial set of chambers, and so on.
This plan is only applicable where the working fluid is free from water, as otherwise
centrifugal force will keep the water in the chamber C. An obvious modification
of this plan is to allow the chamber C to discharge into W by an orifice in W in
the same way as C³ discharges by F in Figure 2, so as to dispense with C¹.
As shewn in the figures it is obvious that water may collect to a small extent
in the chambers. This may be avoided by each chamber G having a subsidiary
jet opening, or small hole, close up to the inner circumference of the rims E E' &c.
Such holes will discharge both water and steam, and will give a reaction effect, but
not so perfectly as the main jets, as the entrance cannot be formed as a vena
contracta, as in the case of the main jets. In Figure 3, such subsidiary jets are
shewn by dotted lines: also like openings to allow the water to enter the jet
chambers G from the main chambers A B C.
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 :-

page_text: described in which the jets, and the chambers into which they discharge, rotate
rigidly together as one piece so as to avoid rubbing surfaces and joints.
2. A compound reaction wheel or engine in which steam or other expansible-
fluid is discharged through a succession of orifices of gradually increasing diameter.
and is conducted by suitable passages from orifice to orifice, and in which the whole
is rigidly connected together and mounted concentrically on an axis.
3. The construction of steam and other fluid pressure engines substantially as.
herein before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Deted this 18th day of June 1894.
MARK H. ROBINSON.