IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn of 169 Fleet Street in the Oity
of London, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer. for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES communicated to me from abroad by
Emmanuel Genty and Jules Deschamps fils both of Paris France
"
+
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1883.
"
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES [Commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Emmanuel Genty and Jules Deschamps fils both of
Paris France]
The rotary engine which forms the subject of this invention is characterized bý
the arrangement and action of its various parts viz: the motive part, the cocks or
valves for reversing or changing the motion, the expansion gear which is variable
at will, and the governor. The advantages derived therefrom are a quick and
easy work, a great expansion and a starting, reversing and stopping which are
simple that a single movement of a lever suffices.
'
The engine is composed of a large cylindrical chamber in which an inner motivė
cylinder works; this cylinder is keyed on the driving shaft and is excentric to the
large or outer cylindrical chamber. Movable pistons work in a kind of knee pieces
held in the motive cylinder and turn on an axis concentric with the outer chamber
this being due to hoops fixed to their ends. These hoops work in a groove formed
in each of the ends of the engine or on a cylindrical projection cast on the inner
face of the said ends and entering the motive: cylinder. Semi cylindrical pieces
connected together by open rings which form one therewith act as the knee pieces
to make a closure and to ease the movements of the pistons. These knee pieces
can be constructed in several ways. In one modification the open rings just
described are replaced by ties or rods which keep apart the pieces they connect;
these ties or rods work in a space made for the purpose in the motive cylinder:
The knee pieces may be divided transversely into two parts with a plate-between

page_text: them acted on by a spring so as to cause the ends of the said parts to press against
the ends of the engine and thus make a closure. The hoops fixed to the ends of
the pistons enter the circular grooves before described in pairs the one in the other,
or they may be replaced by arcs or segments of hoops.
The cock for the inlet of steam to the engine and for expansion moves in another
cock for allowing the steam to exhaust and for starting and reversing. When the
way of this latter cock is in communication with a given passage the steam enters
the outer chamber of the engine and drives the motive cylinder from left to right
while another way arranged in the reverse direction in the length of the cock
communicates with the opposite side of the cylinder and allows the steam to
exhaust. If a quarter turn be given to this cock the openings are reversed and
the reversal of the movement is effected; to stop the engine an eighth of a turn is
sufficient. The end of this cock is fitted with a lever and the other cock is con-
nected with the governor. A rod forming part of this connection is actuated by a
hoop which surrounds an excentric keyed on the driving shaft. The rod and hoop
are united by a pin. There is a packing or closing piece rubbing continuously on
the motive cylinder; it can be pressed forward by springs or by a wedge fed by an
external screw which is tightened up as the packing piece gets worn. Segments
of rings pressed forward by springs form the closure or packing at the ends of the
engine. The packing of the pistons can be effected by squares let into grooves in
the rubbing parts of the pistons. Instead of the segments of rings just described
a plate may be employed of a diameter equal to that of the cylindrical chamber
and adjusted partly in the motive cylinder and partly in the end of the engine.
This plate is recessed in the middle to allow the hoops of the pistons to move
therein in a proper manner. Screws outside the end of the engine allow this plate
to be brought against the motive cylinder and the pistons so as to effect a closure.
The packing or closing piece before described can be dispensed with if the motive
cylinder is able to rest upon the bottom of the outer chamber and to be brought
against it as required; this is easily done by allowing a little vertical play in the
holes in the engine ends where the shaft works and where the stuffing boxes are
situated. By means of the latter and of a screw in the collar of the engine end
which surrounds them the motive cylinder can be made to bear upon the bottom
of the outer chamber.
A small lever one end of which is jointed to the driving shaft of the engine has
its other end jointed to two arms which are in connection with a regulating block
such as that hereinafter described. The governor arms are jointed to a sleeve
which is open for part of its length and is surmounted by a rod having two
transverse pins or a groove which lift or lower the lever under the impulse of the
balls or
of the governor spring. The lever may be constructed in several ways, for
example it may be formed with a longitudinal guide for a piece carried by the
sleeve. A collar holds, the other two arms of the governor and is fixed on the
driving shaft by a screw. In order to obtain a more or less rapid movement it
suffices to give more or less tension to the governor spring by adjusting the position
of this collar. The governor can also be arranged as follows:-A bar is placed at right
angles to the driving shaft and this passes through it. The bar is fixed to the
engine and has a groove in which a sliding piece works and jis bent at its lower
part so as to support a rod held in the steam inlet cock. A rod is connected at its
lower end to the bend of the cock and at its upper end to a hoop; this hoop is
held by a bolt passing through the sliding piece above mentioned which causes it
to slide perpendicularly in the groove. The regulating block is placed concentrically
with the axis of the driving shaft; a rod passes through it as well as through the
shaft and allows it to move from its centre and become more or less excentric. By
this arrangement the steam which at first enters the engine during the whole
stroke of the piston can be admitted, according to the speed of the engine, during
only a small portion of the stroke so that expansion is brought into play.
In a modified arrangement the regulating block moves in a hoop and can be
shifted from its centre by means of a piece which slides in an oblique groove in the

page_text: block under the action of the governor spring or of the governor balls. The block
slides on a plate formed in one with a ring. A rod which is formed in one with
the sliding piece above described is held by a hoop connected with the governor
sleeve and passes through the plate on which the block slides and its ring; this
piece is thus caused to move parallel with the shaft and consequently to lower or
raise the regulating block. The ring and plate before described on which the
regulating block slides can be attached to the driving shaft by a screw so as to
compel the block to turn with the shaft so that the steam acts by expansion. If
this screw is removed and used to connect the said plate and a rod bolted to the
bar before described through which the driving shaft passes the regulating block
can then only move perpendicularly to the shaft; the steam cock is therefore more
or less closed under the action of the governor and the admission of steam more or
less takes place according to the speed of the engine.
According to another modification the regulating block is actuated by a ball or
a second block placed directly on it. The regulating block can be made to slide on
the shaft either by a rod which passes through the latter or by other means
provided it moves truly and easily. The ball or block carried by the regulating
block slides on a rod fixed on the shaft; a spring tightened up by a nut bears on
the ball and tends to cause the regulating block to take up a position concentric
with the shaft while by the centrifugal force the ball tends to move it out of the
centre.
In a similar arrangement there are two balls to act on the regulating block, the
second one being placed opposite the first; these balls are connected by arms to
two collars which slide on a bar which passes through the shaft; springs keep
these collars away from the shaft.
Again, the regulating block may be replaced by a hoop which slides by means of
arms in the groove of a plate keyed on a shaft. A ball is attached to a prolongation
of one of the arms and is open in the centre to give passage to a rod on which is a
spring bearing on a ring which is connected with the hoop. This spring tends to
keep the hoop at its central point while the ball tends to move it out of the
centre.
:
The improved rotary engine above described can be made with only one piston
and if reversal of the movement is not required the second cock described can be
dispensed with and replaced by an exhaust opening while the other cock only
requires one way,
The knee pieces before described can also be dispensed with and even the
governor by regulating the expansion beforehand by means of an excentric
substituted for the regulating block and also acting on the cock.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th October 1883.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES" (A com-
munication to me from abroad by Emmanuel Genty and Jules Deschamps fils both
of Paris, France)
The rotary engine which forms the subject of this invention is characterized by
the arrangement and action of its various parts viz the motive part, the cocks or
valves for reversing or changing the motion the expansion gear which is variable
at will, and the governor. The advantages derived therefrom are a quick and
easy work, a great expansion and a starting, reversing and stopping which are so
simple that a single movement of a lever suffices.
The internal arrangements are represented in front view, longitudinal section
and end view respectively in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the annexed drawings. A is a
large cylindrical chamber in which an inner motive cylinder B works; this
cylinder is keyed on the driving shaft O and is excentric to the chamber A.
Movable pistons D D work in a kind of knee pieces held in the cylinder B and
turn on an axis concentric with the chamber A this being due to hoops E E fixed
to their ends. These hoops work in a groove formed in each of the ends of the
engine or on a cylindrical projection cast on the inner face of the said ends and
entering the motive cylinder. FF are semi-cylindrical pieces connected together
by open rings which form one therewith; they act as the knee pieces to make a
closure and to ease the movements of the pistons. These knee pieces can be
constructed in different ways as seen in Figures 4 and 5. In the latter the
openings just described are replaced by ties or rods P which keep apart the pieces
that they connect; these ties or rods work in a space made for the purpose in the
cylinder B. In figure 6 is represented a piston D with cylindrical knee piece E.
This knee piece may be divided transversely into two parts with a plate F
between them acted on by a spring so as to cause the ends of the said parts to
press against the ends of the engine and thus make a closure. GG are hoops
fixed to the ends of the pistons and entering the circular grooves before described
in pairs the one in the other, or they be replaced by arcs or segments of hoops as
seen in Figure 7. In Figure 8 the hoops turn on a cylindrical projection cast on
each of the ends of the engine.
The cooks are seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3. G¹ is the cock for the inlet of steam
and for expansion, it moves in another cock H for allowing the steam to exhaust
and for starting and reversing. When the way of this cock H is directed to I the
steam enters the chamber A and drives the cylinder B from left to right while
another way arranged in the reverse direction in the length of the cock (S section)
communicates with the opposite side of the cylinder and allows the steam to
exhaust. If a quarter turn be given to this cock the openings are reversed and
the reversal of the movement is effected; to stop the engine an eighth of a turn
is sufficient. The end of the cock H is fitted with a lever K and the cock G' is
connected with the governor by the rods L and M The rod M is actuated by a
hoop which surrounds an excentric S keyed on the driving shaft C. The rod
and hoop are united by a pin g. N is a packing or closing piece rubbing con-
tinuously on the motive cylinder, it can be pressed forward by springs or by a
wedge P¹ moved by an external screw which is tightened up as the packing piece

page_text: gets worn. Segments of rings T T pressed forward by springs form the closure or,
packing at the ends of the engine. The packing of the pistons can be effected by
squares let into grooves in the rubbing parts of the pistons as is indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 6. O is the steam inlet pipe and R the outlet pipe.
In order to avoid the inconvenience which there would be from the hoops of the
pistons entering the grooves of the engine ends in pairs one of these pistons can
be arranged- as in Figure 9 (sheet 2) which shews an engine with a single piston
one end of the engine being supposed removed. When the engine has only one
piston, instead of this piston being held by hoops fitted in grooves in the engine
ends the piston can be fixed to two inner ends which form one body with it, all
turning together. A A represent the two movable ends; they are supported at
the centre by a projection from the ends C and they are by their external contours
tangential to the cylindrical chamber; they are fitted at this part with a packing
ring. Instead of the centre of the ends A bearing directly upon the projection C
they can be made to rest on a conical ring E which can be moved forward by an
outer screw as it becomes worn. Instead of the segments of rings T T (Figure 1)
a plate U Figure 14 may be employed of a diameter equal to that of the
cylindrical chamber and adjusted partly in the motive cylinder and partly in the
end of the engine. This plate is recessed in the middle to allow the hoops E E of
the pistons to move therein in à proper manner. Screws outside the end of the
engine allow this plate to be brought against the motive cylinder B and the pistons
DD so as to effect a closure. The packing or closing piece N before described
can be dispensed with if the cylinder B is able to rest upon the bottom of the
chamber A and to be brought against it as required; this is easily done by
allowing a little vertical play in the holes in the engine ends where the shaft
works and where the stuffing boxes are situated. By means of the latter and of a
screw V in the collar of the engine end which surrounds them the cylinder B can
be made to bear upon the bottom of the chamber A.
The governor is shewn in Figure 10 which is a view of the engine. X is a
small lever one end a of which is jointed to the driving shaft C its other end
being jointed to two arms which are in connection with a regulating block
hereinafter described. The governor arms are jointed to a sleeve Y which is open
for part of its length and is surmounted by a rod 6 having two transverse pins or
a groove which lift or lower the lever X under the impulse of the balls or of the
governor spring Z. The lever may be constructed in several ways, for example it
may be formed as seen in Figure 13 with a longitudinal guide for a piece carried
by the sleeve Y. A collar Y holds the other two arms of the governor and is
fixed on the driving shaft by a screw V₁. In order to obtain a more or less rapid
movement it suffices to give more or less tension to the governor spring by
adjusting the position of this collar. The governor can also be arranged as shown
in Figure 14. A bar A¹ is placed at right angles to the driving shaft and this
passes through it. The bar is fixed to the engine by the support B¹ and has a
groove C in which a sliding piece D' works and is bent at its lower part so as to
support a rod T¹ held in the steam inlet cock. A rod M is connected at its lower
end to the bend L'of the cock and at its upper end to a hoop Q; this hoop is
held by a bolt passing through the piece D₁ which causes it to slide perpendicularly
in the groove.C. Instead of making the rod M to act directly on the bend L¹ of
the cock it can be made to move a small lever L' (Figure 15) which actuates the
rod T of the cock by sliding at one of its ends in a groove formed in the bend of
the cock. The sliding piece D¹ may also be dispensed with and the rod M be
fixed to the hoop Qof the excentric (Figure 15.).
Figure 11. shows the regulating block; it is placed concentrically with the axis
of the driving shaft; a rod c passes through it as well as through the shaft and
allows it to move from its centre and become more or less excentric as seen in
Figure 12. By this arrangement the steam which at first enters the engine during
the whole stroke of the piston, can be admitted, according to the speed of the

page_text: engine, during only a small portion of the stroke so that expansion is brought into
play.
In Figure 14 and in Figures 16 and 17 the regulating block S which moves in
the hoop can be shifted from its centre by means of a piece K' which slides in
an oblique groove L¹ in the block under the action of the governor spring Z or of
the governor balls. The block slides on a plate N formed in one with the ring P.
A rod which is formed in one with the piece K¹ is held by a hoop O¹ and passes
through the plate N¹ and its ring, this piece is thus caused to move parallel with
the shaft and consequently to lower or raise the regulating block S. The sleeve Y
sliding on the shaft under the action of the balls or of the spring acts on the
hoop O' in which it can move although held therein. By moving up the collar Y¹
more or less and thus acting on the spring the speed is accelerated. The ring P¹
and plate N¹ can be attached to the driving shaft by a screw R¹ so as to compel
the block S to turn with the shaft so that the steam acts by expansion. If this
screw R' is removed and used to connect the plate N' and the rod X' bolted to the
bar A (Figure 14) the regulating block can then only move perpendicularly to the
shaft; the steam cock is. therefore more or less closed under the action of
the governor and the admission of steam more or less takes place according to the
speed of the engine.
1.
Figures 18 and 19 represent in front and side views the regulating blocks
actuated by a ball or a second block placed directly on it. The regulating block S
can be made to slide on the shaft either by a rod E' which passes through the
latter or by other means provided it moves truly and easily. A ball or block B¹
carried by the regulating block slides on a rod d fixed on the shaft; a spring
tightened up by a nut d¹ bears on the ball B' and tends to cause the regulating
block S to take up a position concentric with the shaft while by the centrifugal
force the ball B' tends to move it out of the centre. To increase the speed of the
engine the nut & is screwed up.
Figure 20 shows the same arrangement but with two balls to act on the
regulating block, the second one B³ being placed opposite the first B*; these balls
are connected by arms to two collars F¹ F¹ that slide on a bar which passes through
the shaft; springs rr keep these collars away from the shaft. Two nuts G* G*
regulate the speed by being screwed up more or less against the springs r r.
Again the regulating block may be replaced by a hoop which slides by means
of arms in the groove of a plate keyed on the shaft as in Figures 21 and 22.
P¹ is the plate keyed on the shaft; ff are arms held to the regulating hoop S
(seen in dotted lines in Figure 21) these arms slide in the grooves of the plate.
B is a ball attached to a prolongation of one of the arms; it is open in the
centre to give passage to a rod g on which is a spring bearing on a ring h which
is connected with the hoop. This spring tends to keep the hoop at its central
point while the ball tends to move it out of the centre. The regulating nut is
within the ball.
The improved rotary engine above described can be made with only one piston
and if reversal of the movement is not required the cock H before described
can be dispensed with and replaced by an exhaust opening while the other cock
only requires one way.
The knee pieces before described can also be dispensed with and even the
governor by regulating the expansion before-hand by means of an excentric
substituted for the regulating block and also acting on the cock, or the
expansion may be otherwise regulated in engines having only one piston.
Having now described the nature of the said invention as communicated to me
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First Constructing or arranging the motive or internal parts of rotary
engines substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the annexed
drawings.
: Second: The special arrangement or construction of cock bereinbefore described

page_text: and represented in the annexed drawings for effecting the admission, exhaust,
expansion and reversing of rotary engines.
Third: The several arrangements of governors for rotary engines hereinbefore
described and represented in the annexed drawings.
Fourth-Constructing rotary engines as hereinbefore described and represented
in the annexed drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Clayton Mewburn have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixteenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.
J. C. MEWBURN (L.S.)